Experts say the majority of displaced Afghans would be likely to seek refuge in neighbouring countries such as Iran and Pakistan, while some may attempt to find safety in Europe.
More than one million Afghans could be driven out of their homes after the Taliban takeover – with a significant rise in people expected to come to Europe for safety, experts have warned.
Campaigner and former MP Alf Dubs said Afghanistan “has the potential to become a major refugee crisis”, adding that women in particular would need international help.
Civilians have been fleeing their homes to escape the oppressive rule of the Taliban, with thousands flocking to Kabul airport in the hope of boarding a flight.
Pressure is mounting on countries to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians following the rapid collapse of stability, with Boris Johnson expected to launch a “bespoke” resettlement scheme for vulnerable Afghans.
“Past peaks of violence in Afghanistan, such as 2001, suggest that without intervention there could be significantly more than one million people displaced by the Taliban’s advance,” Alexander Betts, a professor of forced migration at Oxford University told i.
While many people would be “internally displaced” within Afghanistan, others would seek refuge in the neighbouring states of Pakistan and Iran.
“Only a minority are likely to travel through Turkey and onward to the European Union – but that number could still be significant, with nearly 600,000 Afghans having sought asylum in Europe since 2015,” he added.
Professor Nando Sigona, an international migration and forced displacement expert at the University of Birmingham, added: “We can certainly expect a significant rise in the flow towards Europe and, in particular, the countries militarily involved in the country for two decades. The UK response is currently very limited and inadequate to the scale of the refugee crisis that is emerging.”
Lord Dubs, who as a child fled the Nazi occupation of Prague and is now a prominent refugee rights campaigner, said: “Our first priority must be to look after those Afghans who worked for the British Army or who played a major part in human rights and administration. Our particular emphasis must be on the brave women who have been helping to build a civil society in the country. “
The Labour peer said it was important the UK and international partners provided aid to the countries near Afghanistan that would “bear the brunt of people fleeing the country”.
“There are Afghans, especially children who are already in Northern France or on the Greek Islands. We must offer at least some of them a safe and legal route to the UK especially for those with relatives in this country,” he added.
SOURCE: iNews
