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The Finnish Immigration Service has updated its rules regarding asylum applications submitted by Afghans, deciding to grant refugee status to all women and girls.
In a statement issued on February 15, the authority said that last year after the Taliban came to power, the position of women in Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly, along with their rights and freedoms, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
โTaking into account the combined effect of the implementation of the sharia law and other Taliban actions, all women are considered in the prevailing circumstances as categorically subject to persecution in Afghanistan. For them, the requirements for asylum are met on the basis of their gender alone,โ the statement reads.
In this regard, the director of the Asylum Unit, Antti Lehtinen, said that Afghan women have been granted asylum before, but that gender was only one of the many aspects considered in the decision-making process.
According to Lehtinen, currently, only gender is a sufficient reason for asylum.
Last December, the Immigration Service also updated its guidelines for processing applications submitted by Afghans of Hazara descent. Such a decision is also based on a EUAA report, according to which the position of the Hazaras has worsened in Afghanistan.
The Hazaras are of Shiite origin and are discriminated against by the Taliban, and the group has violated their rights ever since they first appeared in this country. ISISโ Afghanistan branch and ISKP are also targeting Hazaras with violent attacks.
As the Finnish Immigration Service explains, a conclusion has not yet been reached on whether all Hazaras living in Afghanistan will need international protection.
Moreover, data from the Immigration Service show that after July 9, 2021, Afghan asylum seekers have not been given any negative decision that would lead to removal from the country.
During this time, applications for international protection have not been fulfilled for all Afghan asylum seekers, however they may have been issued a residence permit on humanitarian grounds.
Such data reveal that last year a total of 612 asylum decisions were made for Afghans, with 511 of them being positive. Of this total, 394 Afghans were granted asylum, seven received supplementary protection and 110 were granted residence permits for other reasons. On the other hand, 24 negative decisions were taken.
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