Human Rights Watch on Wednesday accused the United Arab Emirates of “arbitrarily” detaining at least 2,400 Afghan asylum seekers in unsanitary conditions for more than a year.
According to a report published on Wednesday, between 2,400 and 2,700 Afghans who left their country for the Emirates when the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021 are being held in makeshift facilities with limited access to legal aid and restrictions on their freedom of movement.
HRW interviewed 16 Afghans living in the complex called Emirates Humanitarian City, who specifically denounced overcrowding, ailing infrastructure and insect invasions.
“The Emirati authorities have held thousands of Afghan asylum seekers in overcrowded, deplorable conditions for more than 15 months with no hope of any progress in their case,” alleges Joey Shea, Emirati researcher for the NGO.
Quoted in that report, an Afghan described the Emirates Humanitarian City as a “camp”. “This camp is like a prison,” he said.
HRW calls for the immediate release of these “arbitrarily detained” Afghans, including women and children.
According to a government official, Emirati authorities have agreed to temporarily host them at the request of the United States while they wait for another country to offer them hospitality.
“The UAE continues to work with the US Embassy to process (travellers) and is in touch with their US counterparts to house the last (Afghan) evacuees in a timely manner,” he told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“We understand that there are frustrations and that it has taken longer than expected,” he added.
According to him, the authorities provide asylum seekers with “quality accommodation, sanitation, medical, hospital, educational, catering and legal advice”.
For its part, HRW is threatening a serious “mental health crisis” and says it has identified at least one attempted suicide. The NGO urged the international community “not to ignore the shocking plight of these forgotten Afghans in the Emirates”.
“In particular, the American government (…), for which many refugees worked before the Taliban took over, should intervene immediately,” HRW demanded.