Afghanistan: Over 2,000 Afghan evacuees detained in UAE, rights group says

A rights group said authorities in the United Arab Emirates are arbitrarily detaining over 2,000 Afghan evacuees for more than 15 months. The rights group said authorities were detaining over 2,000 Afghan evacuees that have not qualified for resettlement.

Rights group Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Wednesday that Emirati authorities were arbitrarily detaining around 2,700 Afghan evacuees for more than 15 months. The report said that many Afghans who are in the Emirates Humanitarian City were suffering from depression and other mental illnesses, do not have access to legal counsel, and do not have sufficient educational services for their children.

“Living conditions have also deteriorated significantly with detainees describing overcrowding, decay of infrastructure, and insect infestations,” said the report regarding the facility in Abu Dhabi.

A UAE official told Reuters that the UAE is working with the United States and other international partners to resettle the remaining Afghan evacuees in a timely manner in accordance with the original agreement.

“We understand that there are frustrations and this has taken longer than intended to complete,” said the official, adding that the country is committed to making sure Afghan evacuees live in safety, security, and dignity and that the evacuees are receiving quality housing, sanitation, healthcare, counseling, education, and food services.

The report also noted the comments by the US State Department office that is overseeing the relocation of Afghans in a letter to the group, saying that Washington’s commitment to resettling eligible Afghans, including those who are in the Emirates Humanitarian City is an “enduring” one.

Despite most of the Afghans who evacuated Afghanistan during the withdrawal of foreign military forces being cleared to resettle in the US, Canada, and other countries, 2,500 to 2,700 evacuees did not qualify for resettlement which the HRW described as “arbitrary detention.”

On Monday, the Taliban-run Afghan health ministry announced the launching of the second annual polio vaccination drive in the country. The ministry said the campaign would last for four days and cover 31 of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan. Health ministry spokesman Sarafat Zaman said the drive in the remaining three provinces was postponed due to the weather.