Afghan Refugees in India Stage Protest Outside UNHCR Office
Tawazon, New Delhi — In a peaceful and symbolic act of protest, dozens of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers gathered on Monday, June 30, in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Vikaspuri, New Delhi. Braving the scorching heat, they transformed years of silence, uncertainty, and suffering into a unified cry for justice.
A Tawazon correspondent present at the scene spoke with several demonstrators. Afghan refugees say they have been living in India under unclear legal and humanitarian circumstances, without access to basic human rights such as healthcare, education, legal documentation, and the right to work.
Zarghona, one of the protestors who fled to India with her family ten years ago, shared:
“When we arrived, my children were little. Now they have grown up, yet they have no hope for education and employment. We stay awake at night because of the unbearable heat, and we can’t even afford a fan or a cooler.”
Wajiha, another woman whose two sons work in a restaurant, spoke of chronic anxiety, lack of access to medical services, and the absence of any support:
“Even to see a doctor, we have to wait for months. We cannot afford private clinics. Medicines must be bought from the market, but we have no money. My children are depressed under the pressure of life—they’ve become irritable and have dropped out of school.”
Some protesters noted that even with a UNHCR card, they are unable to buy a SIM card, are barred from employment, and have been ignored by both local and international agencies.
At the conclusion of the gathering, the Afghan refugees submitted an official resolution to the UNHCR office in Delhi, clearly outlining their concerns, demands, and humanitarian plight.
The resolution states:
“We, a collective of Afghan refugees residing in India, have come together today in a peaceful demonstration to raise our voices to the global community, UNHCR, human rights organizations, and host countries.”
Protesters emphasized that this is not merely a migration issue, it is a serious human rights crisis.
Highlighting years of unanswered pleas, they called for urgent action. Their key demands include: immediate review of refugee cases; support for the resettlement of those who have waited for years in India; transparency in the referral process to third countries; resolution of the legal status of former Afghan military personnel; facilitation of legal visa issues; and provision of livelihood and financial opportunities for vulnerable families.
As articulated in the resolution:
“Are we not human? How long must our children grow up without a future, lost in uncertainty? How many more years must we remain in the dark, hearing only promises of ‘soon’?”
The Afghan refugees have given the UNHCR a deadline of July 30, 2025, to issue a formal and transparent response. They warned that if their demands remain unmet, they will escalate their protests beginning August 1, 2025, in a broader and more determined manner.
The demonstrators described their protest not as an act of disruption, but as a civic, humanitarian movement—a cry for justice and dignity.
