Dear friends of Sea-Eye,

After the final withdrawal of the international troops in Afghanistan, the Taliban are celebrating their victory. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to hope to be evacuated or find another way to leave their homeland as soon as possible because they are not safe under Taliban rule.

The Taliban continue to present themselves as moderate and peaceful in interviews and press conferences, but reports indicate that people are still being executed, kidnapped, and/or severely abused. Women have been ordered to stay home – “at least for now” – on the grounds that “some of their fighters have not learned to respect them yet”. In recent days, there have been reports of Taliban getting support from Al-Qaeda to fight the anti-Taliban resistance fighters in Panjshir a province in the northeast of the country.

In addition, food, hygiene items, medicine and other goods are becoming increasingly scarce. Especially outside of the cities, there is a “huge humanitarian crisis” going on (Asuntha Charles, World Vision in Afghanistan). Some countries, such as Sweden most recently, have suspended much-needed aid payments due to the takeover. WHO warns of disease and epidemics.

Meanwhile, Europe's interior ministers met and jointly drafted plans for further EU isolation arrangements to “prevent uncontrolled, illegal migration movements as in the past”. ”Financial support” for neighboring Afghan countries seems to be the main focus. The EU also wants to cooperate with these countries - Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan - to prevent illegal migration. Border protection is to be strengthened “in order to put a stop to smugglers.”

The fact that smugglers are one of many symptoms of a failed, inhumane policy is completely disregarded. It seems as if those in charge are primarily concerned with denying their own responsibility for the existing conditions and finding convenient apparent solutions.

We must not allow that the fleeing people end up in further misery camps and will be forgotten there, with no prospect of a safe life in peace.

We must not allow that people who have been evacuated are housed behind walls and barbed wire in so-called anchor centers in Germany, locked up and isolated from their new surroundings.

We have a duty to provide real protection to people seeking protection. We must enable them to leave their home country by the safest possible means and arrive in the safest possible environment.

For this reason, we continue to call for the immediate establishment of safe passages from Afghanistan.

No apparent solutions, no more “compacts on refugees”!

Please help us raise awareness about the suffering as well as the rights of people seeking protection.

• Share the petition.
• Inform yourselves and sensitize your environment to the issue, especially in light of the upcoming elections.
• Join aid organizations, refugee support networks etc. and organize yourselves.

Only together we can make a difference!

Thank you very much,
Axel Pasligh, Gorden Isler, Joana Weinmann, Sophie Weidenhiller
- from Sea-Eye e. V.