Afghans, including refugees in the United Kingdom and Ireland, are facing a challenging situation following the decision to close their embassy in London. The UK government requested the closure of the Afghan diplomatic mission after the Taliban expelled embassy staff from the previous administration for refusing to represent the new regime. This situation has left many Afghans in a difficult position, further complicating their already precarious circumstances.
Following the decision to close the embassy, effective at the end of September 2024, the UK has asked embassy staff to either apply for political asylum or leave the country. As a result, Afghan refugees are unable to obtain official documents verifying their identities. The Independent newspaper spoke with an eight-month-pregnant Afghan woman living in Dublin, who voiced her concerns for her child’s future, stating, “My child is coming into a world where the mother’s documents are no longer valid, and my child’s nationality is now at risk.” The woman, who remains unnamed, cannot renew her expired passport or return to Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s rejection of women’s work. Additionally, she mentioned that her family is scattered across several countries, leaving her feeling trapped in Ireland because of her inability to travel.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban government announced that it would not recognize documents issued by the embassy in London. This decision stems from the fact that the embassy officials represent the former regime, which was supported by the West. Additionally, since the United Kingdom and several European countries do not recognize Taliban authority, reopening the embassy is complicated by current political contradictions. As a result, Afghan refugees in the UK and Ireland will need to contact Kabul after September 27 for passport renewals or to complete consular paperwork.
The British government evacuated about 25,000 Afghans in 2021, prior to the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan. Most of those evacuated required documents from the embassy. Ambassador Zalmai Rassoul, representing the former regime, stated that the Afghan embassy in London will officially close on September 27, 2024, at the official request of the British government.
This is the third instance of the Afghan embassy in London being closed. The first closure occurred in 1978, following the communist coup and Afghanistan’s alignment with the Soviet Union against the West. The second closure happened in 1996, after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, which lasted until 2001.