UK Rejects Asylum Requests of 26 Afghan Women’s Rights Activists

According to the report published on Saturday (April 5), one of these women—referred to under the pseudonym “Mina”—had worked on projects funded by Western governments that provided consultation and training to women prior to the Taliban’s return to power. Mina shared details of the dangers she faced in Afghanistan during her interview with UK immigration authorities. However, her asylum application was rejected by the UK Home Office.

In the rejection letter, it was stated: “We believe that if you return to Afghanistan, you will not face a real risk of persecution, mistreatment, or harm due to drawing the Taliban’s attention.” The letter also emphasized: “It is likely that, due to your work, you have a strong support network, and there are no compassionate or humanitarian grounds in your case that justify granting residence outside standard immigration rules.”

The Guardian wrote that many of Mina’s former colleagues have either gone into hiding or fled Afghanistan, leaving her with little to no support network.

Mina told the newspaper: “I thought my asylum application would be accepted. I came from Afghanistan, I’m a woman, and I worked with Western governments. The rejection was a complete shock. Now I live in daily fear of being sent back. Having a normal life here is like a dream. I’m truly suffering mentally.”

She added: “When I arrived here, I felt safe and thought I had found a chance at life. In Afghanistan, I wasn’t even seen as a human. Here, I learned to ride a bicycle—something I wasn’t allowed to do in my country. I was full of hope that my life would change, but someone hit the pause button on my life. I hope someone will press play again.”

According to the Guardian, in the final quarter of 2024, the UK government rejected asylum applications from a total of 2,000 Afghan nationals, including the 26 women mentioned. Moreover, the acceptance rate for asylum applications from Afghan nationals in the UK dropped from 98.5% at the end of 2023 to 36% by the end of 2024.

Jamie Bell, Mina’s lawyer, told the Guardian: “It’s shocking that 26 Afghan women’s asylum applications have been rejected in the last quarter, but this case is especially distressing because the UK Home Office claims that a woman who risked her life defending women’s rights in Afghanistan is not in danger if returned.”

He emphasized: “The UK should be proud to provide refuge to people like Mina. This decision is an insult to all those who defended Western values in Afghanistan and now cannot return to their country safely. They deserve protection.”

This comes as, since the Taliban’s return to power, women and girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of their rights to education, work, and social participation, with reports emerging of detention, torture, harassment, and even sexual violence against women activists in Taliban custody.