Afghan refugees face an uncertain future as Europe shifts to the right

Steenwijk, The Netherlands – Abdul Wali shows me a special coin and certificate he received in 2023 from the Dutch government for his services in Afghanistan.To him, the items symbolise a promise the Netherlands made when about 4,500 Afghan staff – most working as interpreters, security guards and for the European Union’s police mission – and family members were evacuated from Afghanistan after the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Can the UN’s Refugee Convention survive?list 2 of 4Fall in funding cuts aid to 1 million women: UNlist 3 of 4UNESCO says 2.4 million Afghan girls denied access to further educationlist 4 of 4Nearly 4 million Afghan children ‘acutely malnourished’end of listDramatic images of Afghans scrambling to enter Kabul airport as US aircraft took off went viral, highlighting the fear many in the country felt about the new powerholders in Afghanistan.European governments, including the Netherlands, came under heavy criticism for the chaotic evacuation process that saw thousands of vulnerable Afghans, who worked for the former administration or foreign entities, left behind.Abdul Wali arrived in the Netherlands in No...