Members of the National Union of Journalists and the Human Rights League have shown support for Afghan journalists who have been denied visas by French authorities.
These 16 Afghan journalists have fled the Taliban regime in other countries, such as Iran and Pakistan, while they were promised protection by France, Schengen.News reports.
The same has filed an appeal with the Nantes administrative court after being denied a long-term asylum visa. The judge examined the suspensive interim relief this week, and SNJ and LDH both came in support of the journalists.
French President Had Vowed to Help Afghan Journalists
French President Emmanuel Macron had promised that France would be open to those who needed to be protected. The Taliban group captured Kabul and placed its regime in Afghanistan in the summer of 2021.
Many Afghans, defenders of rights, artists, activists, are today threatened because of their commitment. We will help them because it is France’s honor to stand alongside those who share our values, as much as we can do so.
Since then, France has welcomed dozens of journalists. But this might be changing, as Antoine Chuzeville, general secretary of the SNJ, the National Union of Journalists, noted that France is closing its doors to these people.
Even the NGOs have pointed out that fewer people are being granted access to protection in France, including Afghan journalists, who are not being offered support as Macron had promised.
The number of visa refusals exceeds the number of acceptances, including for women. The restrictions are not explained. From one country to another, France’s management of consular services can be very opaque.
The lawyers defended the cases before the administrative court, which will give its decision soon. As Chuzeville pointed out, women journalists in Afghanistan are persecuted, and men are imprisoned and threatened with death.
Afghanis Represent One of the Main Nationalities for Asylum Seekers in EU
In 2023, according to the Eurostat, the EU Statistical Office, Afghanis represent the second-largest nationality group to apply for asylum in the EU countries. In total, 100,935 asylum applications were filed by Afghanis, representing 9.6 per cent of the total requests for asylum recorded.
Afghanis mainly are headed to Germany and France, with 50.8 per cent of Afghanis applying for asylum in Germany alone. On the other hand, Afghanis represented the largest asylum applicant group in France, submitting 16,860 asylum applications in 2023.
As the data reveals, between 2021 and 2023, 64 journalists were detained by the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
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