The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has announced that it held a special meeting to review the draft Asylum Law. The meeting took place on Wednesday, July 15, and was attended by senior officials of the ministry, who discussed the provisions of the draft legislation and the final stages of its development.
Speaking at the meeting, Abdul Rahman Rashid, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, said that the Asylum Law should be drafted in accordance with “Sharia and Islamic principles.” According to him, the law should safeguard individuals’ right to seek asylum while ensuring compliance with Islamic legal and religious standards.
According to a statement issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, the drafting process has reached its final stage. The ministry said that a specialized committee has completed the draft, which will soon be submitted to the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice for legal review and final approval.
Despite the announcement that the draft has been finalized, the authorities have not yet disclosed its specific provisions or contents. It remains unclear what legal framework or procedures the law will establish for granting asylum.
The drafting of the law comes at a time when large numbers of Afghans have fled the country since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Most have sought refuge in neighboring countries, while many others have migrated to destinations across Europe, North America, and elsewhere.
According to United Nations reports, millions of Afghan nationals are living as refugees or migrants in neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan. In recent years, hundreds of thousands have also relocated to European countries, the United States, Canada, and Australia, in what has been described as one of Afghanistan’s largest waves of migration in recent decades.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
