UAE arbitrarily detaining 2,400 Afghan asylum seekers, says report

• Human Rights Watch claims that 2,400 Afghan asylum applicants are being detained.
• They detained arbitrarily in the United Arab Emirates.
• The US State Department has committed to resettling all qualified Afghans.

Human Rights Watch claims that at least 2,400 Afghan asylum applicants are being detained arbitrarily in the United Arab Emirates.

Following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021, the adults and children being detained at a temporary facility in Abu Dhabi were removed from that city.

According to HRW, they were “stuck in limbo” and in “cramped, unpleasant conditions” with little chance of being relocated.

The UAE claimed there were bad conditions and asserted that it was collaborating with the US to complete the resettlement procedure.

A further 70,000 Afghans were evacuated straight to the US before American soldiers left Kabul, while more than 10,000 more Afghans who were flown to the UAE have purportedly been resettled in the US, Canada, and other countries.

Following the Taliban takeover, two converted apartment buildings known as Emirates Humanitarian City and Tasameem Workers City served as housing for the Afghans who had been transported to Abu Dhabi.

In a report released on Wednesday, HRW stated that it had spoken to 16 Afghans who were being held at Emirates Humanitarian City, eight of whom had previously worked in Afghanistan for organizations or program connected to the US government.

They complained about restrictions on their freedom of movement, an inability to obtain a fair and accurate judgement of their refugee status, insufficient access to legal representation, subpar child education, and a lack of psychiatric care.

According to the US-based campaign group, the detainees also spoke of overcrowding, deteriorating infrastructure, and pest infestations.

According to a nameless Afghan, Emirates Humanitarian City “absolutely resembles a prison,” while another person spoke of a “widespread mental health issue among residents,” according to other reports.

Asylum seekers and migrants should not be detained for administrative purposes unless it is necessary and proportionate to achieve a legitimate goal and only in the lack of practical alternatives, according to international law and UNHCR guidance.

HRW requested that the UAE free the detainees and grant them access to effective and fair procedures for evaluating their legal status and protection requirements.

“Governments should not ignore the shocking plight of these Afghans stranded in limbo in the UAE,” said Joey Shea, the group’s UAE researcher.

“The US government in particular, which co-ordinated the 2021 evacuations and with whom many evacuees worked before the Taliban takeover, should immediately step up and intervene to provide support and protection for these asylum seekers.”

An Emirati official told AFP news agency that the UAE was providing “high-quality housing, sanitation, health, clinical, counselling, education and food services” for the Afghans at Emirates Humanitarian City.

Also, it was stated that the UAE was still collaborating with US officials to “resettle the remaining evacuees in a timely way”.

“We understand that there are frustrations and this has taken longer than intended to complete,” they added.

According to the US State Department, all qualified Afghans, including those living in Emirates Humanitarian City, would be resettled as part of a “enduring” US commitment.

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