Many Afghans residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have protested since being evacuated from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August 2021. They are calling for the expediting of what they perceive to be a long resettlement procedure.
According to Reuters, which cited two Afghan residents there, the Afghan protestors on Monday and Tuesday hoisted banners and yelled for relief inside the Abu Dhabi facility housing them.
In anticipation of their resettlement in the United States or other countries, they calculated that thousands of Afghans still are residing in the temporary accommodation.
Images and video captured protests by kids and adults inside the Emirates Humanitarian City building.
In a gesture against what some Afghans claimed were prison-like circumstances, some screamed “we demand justice” while wearing blindfolds that read “freedom,” and others shackled their wrists, according to video seen by the news agency.
Although the UAE has stated its commitment to ensuring Afghan evacuees may live in safety, security, and dignity, a representative told Reuters that Abu Dhabi was becoming frustrated with how long the relocation process was taking.
According to the official, the UAE and the US embassy are coordinating to relocate the Afghans in the US or somewhere else.
Similar protests in February prompted a US State Department official to arrive and say that all Afghans there will be resettled by August, which prompted the current upheaval.
