Dutch Court Rules Against Asylum for Afghan โGuards
THE HAGUE, Netherlands โข -โข A Dutch court has steadfast the Netherlands is not obligatedโฃ to provide asylumโ to 42 Afghan guards who previously worked atโ the Dutch embassy in Kabul, rejecting a legal challenge broughtโ by the former employees. The ruling,delivered โtoday,centersโ onโ the courtS assessment that theโฃ guards’ circumstances differ significantly from those of Afghans directly employed โby the Netherlands โand evacuated following the Taliban takeover.
The โขcase hinged on whether the security personnel, hiredโค through a private company, qualifiedโฃ for โคthe Netherlands’ evacuation assistance program. While acknowledging reports of potential danger faced by the โคguards – includingโ allegations of torture – the court found that their status as residents of the European Union, granting โthem existing access to the bloc, distinguished them from those in immediate peril and lacking alternative routes to safety.The judgment alsoโค notes that the guardsโ are now located not only in โขAfghanistan butโค also in neighboring Pakistan and Iran.
The court specifically โฃdismissedโข the Netherlands’ argument that it had evacuated Hungarianโฃ guards, stating they, as EU residents,โค alreadyโ possessed avenues for relocation. “So they where not in the same situation as โขthe Afghan guards,” โthe ruling stated. โฃ Nieuwsuur previously reported on the plight ofโค one of the โguards, who โdescribed experiencing torture. The outcome leaves the future of the 42 โคAfghan guards uncertain, โฃas they navigate ongoing instability and potential threats in the region.
