According to a blog post from the human rights organization Aegean Boat Report, this week 25 migrants from Afghanistan reached the Greek island of Lesbos, only to be rounded up and set adrift by armed "commandos." The group, which includes 17 small children, are now at a center in Turkey.
Germany remains the number one destination country for migrants in Europe, according to the Migration Report 2020, published by the German government on Wednesday. Overall immigration to Germany, however, fell by 23.9% compared to numbers in 2019.
Undocumented Afghan migrants struggle to access healthcare in Turkey, including coronavirus vaccines. With famine looming over Afghanistan, many are forced to take drastic measures to survive.
In 2021, asylum applications made in Germany increased significantly, as people continue to flee Afghanistan and migration resumes following the coronavirus pandemic.
The United Nations says it needs more than $5 billion to aid people inside and refugees outside Afghanistan. It says the "essential stopgap" will help shore up essential services and none of it will go to the Taliban.
Sohail Ahmadi was just two months old, when his father handed him to a soldier over the wall at Kabul airport, during the evacuation of thousands of Afghans in August. In the chaos, the baby was lost and looked after by another family. Now Sohail has been located and handed to his grandfather.
Going forward, Germany will allow Afghan asylum seekers to pursue language and integration classes even before a decision is granted on their applications. The change in law came as government assessments showed that refugees from Afghanistan are likely to be allowed to remain in Germany for the time being.
Cartoonist Hossien Rezaye has spent years depicting life in Afghanistan through his drawings. He uses cartoons to process difficult emotions and events, providing a snapshot of the harsh reality of life in the country.
The Court of Rome ruled in favor of two young Afghans in an urgent case they filed for humanitarian protection. The court ordered Italy to issue the Afghans humanitarian visas and grant them the right to enter Italy for protection due to the risk of serious jeopardy to their human rights in their country.
More than four months after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Germany has airlifted over 5,400 Afghans to safety. But around 20,000 more are still waiting for their chance.
The UN children's agency UNICEF says that children have suffered grave rights violations over the past year. The agency called for "concrete measures" to protect children from abuse, including abduction and sexual violence.
Hossien Rezaye arrived in Amsterdam on one of the final flights out of Kabul. A combination of timing and luck allowed him a narrow escape from the Taliban as the extremists encroached on Afghanistan's capital. He was evacuated to the Netherlands with help from The Cartoon Movement – an Amsterdam-based NGO – and the Dutch Foreign Ministry.