Charity flooded with phone calls over fears of deportations to Rwanda
ASCOTTISH charity is being inundated with calls from Afghan refugees who are terrified they will be deported to Rwanda. Glasgow Afghan United said that in the past few days since the Rwanda plan became law and the first flight took an asylum seeker to the African country, the small charity has received “hundreds of calls” from people in the community who are scared that they will be detained and deported.
Managing director Abdul Bostani (right) said he was “gravely concerned” about the impact of the UK Government’s Rwanda policy on Afghanis seeking asylum in the UK.
“The level of fear and anxiety in the community is very high and we are doing what we can to share accurate information with Afghan refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland,” he said.
“However, we remain extremely worried about the impact of this policy on the lives of ordinary people who have been forced into extraordinary circumstances as a result of regime change in Afghanistan, where the Taliban’s brutality has seen women forced out of work, schools closed to girls and so much violence meted out against those who oppose the regime.”
Bostani said this included people who had previously worked for British authorities in Afghanistan such as security guards, interpreters, drivers and others who assisted the UK military mission and supported efforts to create a strong and lasting democratic peace in the country.
“Glasgow Afghan United calls once again on the UK Government to rethink this inhumane policy and to provide justice for the Afghan people and their families who have been left behind after the fall of Kabul,” he said.
“It is immoral and unjust to leave those loyal workers to remain in hiding, in poverty and in danger.”
He pointed out that under the Taliban, women can once again be stoned and executed in public for adultery. There is also violence against minorities considered “infidels”, such as the persecuted Hazara, and there is forcible displacement of people from areas including Andarab, with Taliban-supporting people moved into the homes of exiles. Meanwhile, more than 1.4 million girls over 12 years old have been banned from education.
“And the media is being crushed out of existence, denying the people their right to know what is happening in their own country,” said Bostani.
“Glasgow Afghan United is working to support thousands of New Scots Afghans, including many refugees and asylum seekers displaced by violence and persecution.
“There is a high level of trauma in the community and a significant level of depression, stress and anxiety.
“And we are in regular contact with people who are trapped in Afghanistan or forced to live in exile in neighbouring countries while still facing threats to their safety.
“The UK Government must recognise the serious impact of its Rwanda scheme on the Afghan and other diverse communities affected by conflict and persecution.
“We urge Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Cabinet to act now to reset Britain’s moral compass and restore the UK’s reputation for compassion and humanitarian leadership.
“It is not too late.”