Human Rights Watch accuses UAE of detaining Afghan evacuees for over a year, govt responds 

United Arab Emirates authorities have arbitrarily detained up to 2,700 Afghans for over 15 months in the “Emirates Humanitarian City,” a humanitarian logistics hub in Abu Dhabi, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its report Wednesday.

Responding to the accusations made in the HRW report, aUAE official acknowledged that there was a delay in helping remaining Afghan evacuees resettle as per theoriginal agreement with theUS and other international partners, and assured that they arecommitted to ensuring the safety, security and dignity of the refugees.

"We understand that there are frustrations and this has taken longer than intended to complete," the official told Reuters news agency.

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In the report, HRW urged UAE to "urgently" release those arbitrarily detained and provide access to fair and efficient processes for determining their status and protection needs.

“Emirati authorities have kept thousands of Afghan asylum seekers locked up for over 15 months in cramped, miserable conditions with no hope of progress on their cases,” said United Arab Emirates researcher at Human Rights Watch Joey Shea. “After enduring significant trauma fleeing Afghanistan, they are facing further trauma now, after spending well over a year in limbo in the UAE.”

In the aftermath of the Taliban's takeover of Kabul, the reports said UAE government took thousands of Afghans on private chartered flights to Abu Dhabi, and then transferred them to the Emirates Humanitarian City and Tasameem Workers City (TWC), another housing facility.

Human Rights Watch interviewed many Afghans detained in the UAE in October and November last year.

"Afghans interviewed reported constraints on their freedom of movement, lack of access to fair and effective refugee status determination and safe and legal pathways for onward movement, lack of adequate access to legal counsel, and inadequate education services for children. With no psychosocial support, many adults and children are suffering from depression and other mental health conditions," the report stated.

It elaborated that the living conditions have also deteriorated significantly as detainees are kept under overcrowded conditions where there is poor infrastructure and risk of insect infestations.

“The camp is exactly like a prison,” one Afghan told HRW. Another Afghan expressed concerns saying they don’t know about "our future and we don’t know our destination.”

The UAE should ensure that Afghans have access to counsel and legal services, Human Rights Watch said.

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The report revealed that those who are trying to apply for US resettlement are not getting fair and effective opportunities for onward movement. They said they had severely limited access to UAE or US consulate officials or other officials, it added.

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Moreover, the Human Right Watch wrote to the United Arab Emirates Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs and the US Department of State seeking comment about the findings. The United Arab Emirates Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs have not responded.

Human Rights Watch said immigration detention should be an exceptional measure of last resort, for the shortest period, and only if justified by a legitimate purpose.

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“Governments should not ignore the shocking plight of these Afghans stranded in limbo in the UAE,” Shea said. “The US government in particular, which coordinated the 2021 evacuations and with whom many evacuees worked before the Taliban takeover, should immediately step up and intervene to provide support and protection for these asylum seekers.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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