According to ICC, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has rejected or closed the applications of the Afghan Christian families seeking refugee status in India after fleeing..
An international advocacy group is urging the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to reconsider applications of Afghan refugees in India who have been denied refugee status by the UN agency.
About seven Afghan Christians and their families who fled to India have been denied refugee status by the UN and now face deportation back to Afghanistan, International Christian Concern (ICC) reported.
The UNHCR has reportedly rejected or closed the applications of the Afghan Christian families seeking refugee status in India after fleeing religious persecution in Afghanistan.
Among the applicants was Aman, a husband and father of four, who has received a letter authorizing his deportation from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs.
Aman and his wife converted to Christianity from Islam eleven years ago, after which Aman studied at Zaraphat Bible College in Rawalpindi, Pakistan before returning to Afghanistan to work with an aid organization in Kabul.
"He fled the country to India after an Afghan television network broadcast footage of Afghans being baptized and participating in prayer services in May 2010. The broadcast led to protests throughout the country and a government crackdown against Afghan converts to Christianity," ICC informed.
After applying for asylum in India, Aman was initially told by the Deputy Chief of Mission at the UNCHR office in New Delhi that he would be granted refugee status.
But a letter issued on May 6 stated that he had been denied based on failure to meet the criteria set forth in Article 6B of the UNHCR Statute which states that a person can receive refugee status if he has a "well-founded fear of persecution by reason of his race, religion, nationality or political opinion and is unable or, because of such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of the government of the country of his nationality.”
A leader of the Afghan Christian community in New Delhi said the UNHCR office closed refugee applications despite efforts to convince the UNHCR that it is impossible to live as an Afghan Christian in Afghanistan if your Christian identity is revealed to the public.
“Our community is a persecuted and rejected community,” the leader said. “We left behind all our belongings in Afghanistan just to save our lives. Here in India, we are receiving no legal and physical protection from the UNHCR office or the Indian Government. We are harassed, attacked, insulted and persecuted by Indian Muslims and thousands of Afghan Muslim refugees in this city.”
Aidan Clay, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East, commented, “As seen in the recent cases of Said Musa and Shoaib Assadullah, there are severe penalties under Afghan law, including imprisonment and potential execution, for Afghans who convert from Islam to Christianity."
"Aman, his family, and others whose applications were denied, will likely face a cruel punishment if they are forced to return to Afghanistan."
Clay urged the Indian government to offer refuge to persecuted minorities who have fled to India for asylum.
You need to be a member of Zomi Community Network - Your Network to add comments!
Join Zomi Community Network - Your Network