Afghan refugees in Indonesia protest against Taliban, demand resettlement

Thousands of refugees, mostly from the Hazara minority, have been living in Indonesia for years, awaiting resettlement to places like Australia or Canada

Many defied coronavirus restrictions to protest in Jakarta, saying repatriation is out of the question after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan

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An Afghan refugee binds his hands with cable during a rally asking for justice and resettlement, outside the UN Refugee Agency’s office in Jakarta. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:48pm, 24 Aug 2021Updated: 7:52pm, 24 Aug 2021

Hundreds of Afghan refugees protested in Indonesia on Tuesday against a prolonged resettlement process, saying they needed to be offered new homes now that repatriation was out of the question after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

Thousands of refugees from Afghanistan have lived in Indonesia for years as they await resettlement in third countries such as Canada or Australia. Most are from the Hazara ethnic minority. They are Shiite Muslims, despised by Sunni Muslim radicals and discriminated against by many in the Sunni majority country.

On Tuesday, hundreds gathered outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the capital, Jakarta, despite coronavirus restrictions prohibiting demonstrations, to demand that their cases be expedited.

Afghan refugees living in Indonesia stage a rally outside the building that houses UNHCR representative office in Jakarta. Photo: AP

“In the past year the UNHCR has been telling us there is only one per cent chance of resettlement,” said refugee Hakmat Ziraki.

“Today we come here to ask, what is your answer now? Are you still encouraging voluntary repatriation?