Outside the immediate region of Afghanistan, the largest and oldest communities of Afghans exist in Germany; large communities also exist in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Turkey, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, Netherlands, Australia and Austria. Some are nationals and citizens of the countries in those continents, especially those in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.[46][47][45]
Traditionally, the borders between Afghanistan and its southern and eastern neighboring countries have been fluid and vague.[48] Like other nations that were created by European empires, the borders of Afghanistan with neighboring countries often do not follow ethnic divisions, and several native ethnic groups are found on both sides of Afghanistan's border. This means that historically there was much movement across present day barriers.[49]
After the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Afghan civilians began escaping to neighboring Pakistan and Iran where they were welcomed by the governments of those countries. From there many immigrated to North America, Europe and Oceania. Smaller number went north and began residing in various cities across the then Soviet Union. Some went to India, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere within the Asian continent.[51]
Since March 2002, around 4.4 million Afghan refugees have been repatriated to Afghanistan with the assistance of the UNHCR and IOM.[53][54][55][3] Nearly 1.3 million still remain in Pakistan[56] and 2.5 million or so in Iran.[57] A number of countries that were part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have granted permanent residency to tens of thousands of eligible Afghans.[58][59][60][61][62][15] This creates a legal pathway for those Afghans to become citizens of those countries. Native people of Afghanistan now reside in at least 96 countries around the world.[21] Some of those returning from Pakistan have complained that "they have been beaten and slapped and told nobody in Pakistan wants them anymore."[63] Others have regarded Pakistan as their home because they were born there.[64] Returnees from Iran experience similar or worst punishments.[65] A number of returnees to Afghanistan make new journeys to the European Union (EU) to seek asylum there.[66][67]
Afghan diaspora around the world
Numerous local places around the world with a high concentration of Afghans have been dubbed "Little Kabul", including Centerville District in Fremont, California, U.S.,[68] Steindamm in Hamburg, Germany,[69]Lajpat Nagar in Delhi, India,[70] and Hotel Sevastopol in Moscow, Russia.[71]
Approximately 780,000 registered citizens of Afghanistan are temporarily residing in Iran under the care and protection of the UNHCR.[57][72][73] According to Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees, the total number of Afghans in Iran is around 3 million.[74] The UNHCR stated in 2020 that little over 2 million undocumented citizens of Afghanistan were residing in various parts of the country.[57][73] According to IOM, over 1.1 million of them were repatriated to Afghanistan in 2021.[53][54] Over 600,000 have returned to Afghanistan in 2022.[75][76] According to Iran's AmbassadorHassan Kazemi Qomi, half of Iran's foreign investors are Afghans.[77]
Significant number of Afghans also reside in Turkey. They include business investors, registered refugees, migrant workers, and those trying to make their way to Europe.[12][78][79][13] Around 300,000 reside in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where many are investors in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.[6][80][7] Some of them could be Iranians or Pakistanis using false Afghan passports.[81] Approximately 10,000 Afghans reside in Israel. They are Israelis by nationality.[29] Between 3,500 and 4,000 Afghans reside in Qatar.[31]
The UAE authorities were criticized was keeping thousands of Afghan asylum seekers in cramped and miserable conditions for more than 15 months. Afghans between 2,400-2,700 were being arbitrarily detained in Emirates Humanitarian Cities in Abu Dhabi. Several Afghans interviewed said they were not allowed to leave the site freely and were allowed visits to necessary hospitals only under close supervision by security forces and camp guards. HRW called for the UAE to release those arbitrarily detained, and to allow them a fair and efficient procedure to determine their status and protection needs.[82]
As of October 2023[update], the United Nations estimates that nearly 3.7 million Afghans reside in Pakistan, while Pakistani authorities believe the number to be as high as 4.4 million.[2][83][84] Of these, only 2.7 million hold the required documentation allowing them to legally stay in Pakistan.[2] As of June 2023[update], approximately 1,333,749 registered refugees still remain in Pakistan according to UNHCR.[85] They are also under the care and protection of the UNHCR.[86][87][88][89][90][91][92] On 3 October 2023, the Interior Minister of Pakistan Sarfraz Bugti ordered that all undocumented immigrants, mainly nearly 1.73 million Afghan nationals, to voluntarily leave the country by 1 November 2023, or face deportation in a crackdown.[93]
A small number also reside in Nepal.[96] Most of these fled Afghanistan as refugees but came to the capital Kathmandu via Delhi in search of job opportunities.[97]
There may be as much as 150,000 Afghan refugees in Russia, a third of them reside and work in Moscow.[98][99]
Approximately 10,000 Afghans are said to be residing in Uzbekistan.[100] Around 1,000 are believed to be in Tashkent.[28] In 2005, their total number in that country was approximately 2,500.[101]
The number of Afghans in Tajikistan is approximately 6,775 as of 2021.[30] Hundreds are also known to be residing elsewhere.[102] It is believed some 2,500 and probably over 3,000 are in Kazakhstan.[36][37]
East and Southeast Asia
In December 2020, there were 7,629 registered Afghan refugees residing in Indonesia under the care and protection of the UNHCR.[12][103][104][105] The government of Japan reported 3,509 natives of Afghanistan residing in its country.[32]Malaysia has approximately 2,840 Afghans residing in Malaysia under refugee status.[106] In China, there are "a few thousand" Afghans residing there,[107] including traders based in the international trade city of Yiwu.[108] Small number of natives from Afghanistan also reside and work in Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, and in the Philippines.[21]
Native people from Afghanistan can be found all over Europe.[109][110]Germany has the largest Afghan community in Europe. In the end of 2022, a total of 425,000 persons of Afghan descent[4] resided in Germany, including refugees and asylum seekers and Germans of Afghan descent. There were around 377,000 Afghan citizens residing in Germany at the end of 2022.[111] In the city of Hamburg alone being home to 50,000[112] people of Afghan descent and Hamburg and has the largest Afghan community in Europe. They came first in 1990s due to Afghan conflict to Germany where many people decided to live in Hamburg. Today Hamburg has many Afghan restaurants, shops and cafes. They are the second largest foreign group residing and working in Hamburg, after the Turks.
Between 1992 and 2002, Germany received the highest asylum requests from Afghans in Europe, a total of 57,600. The Netherlands received 36,500 refugees and asylum seekers, the United Kingdom received 29,400, Austria 25,800, Denmark 7,300 and Sweden 3,100. All other countries in the (pre-2004) EU received less than 2,000 asylum requests each from Afghan citizens.[110] Many also arrived during the recent migrant crisis, especially to Germany, Sweden and Austria.[119]
A month after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, Brazil became one of the few nations issuing humanitarian visas to persecuted Afghans, with embassies in Islamabad, Tehran, Moscow, Ankara, Doha, and Abu Dhabi licensed to process visa requests for humanitarian shelter.[131][132] As of June 2023, 11,576 visas had been granted and about 4,000 Afghans had arrived in the South American country. The refugees have faces problems to settle in the country, with over 200 of them living in the São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport while waiting for residencies.[133]
^ abc"Pakistan issues final warning to illegal immigrants to leave voluntarily before the November 1 deadline". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2023-10-31. The United Nations estimates that 3.7 million Afghans reside in Pakistan, while Pakistani authorities believe the number to be as high as 4.4 million. Of these, just 2.7 million Afghans hold the required documentation enabling them to legally stay in Pakistan.
^"Saudi Arabia 2022 Census"(PDF). General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2024-04-28. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
^"Canada Census Profile 2021". Census Profile, 2021 Census. Statistics Canada Statistique Canada. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
Christopher F. Droney (September 13, 2018). "Khalid v. Sessions, 904 F.3d 129". Second Circuit. Harvard Law School. p. 135. Congress enacted the current version of [8 U.S.C. §§ 1431(a) and 1433(a)] with the passage of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 ('CCA').
Ferdinand Fernandez (June 22, 2001). "Hughes v. Ashcroft, 255 F.3d 752". Ninth Circuit. Harvard Law School. p. 760. As I see it, the language [of §§ 1431(a) and 1433(a)] could be construed to allow coverage of [natural and biological children of U.S. citizens] who had reached the age of 18 years before the CCA's effective date.
Per curiam (May 8, 2018). "Hinojosa v. Horn, 896 F.3d 305". Fifth Circuit. Harvard Law School. p. 311. To receive the certificate, petitioners must demonstrate good faith and a 'substantial basis' for the claim that they are, in fact, American citizens.
Lory D. Rosenberg (April 25, 1997). "In re Fuentes-Martinez, 21 I&N Dec. 893"(PDF). Board of Immigration Appeals. U.S. Dept. of Justice. p. 896 n.4. A person who claims to have derived United States citizenship by naturalization of a parent may apply ... for a certificate, but a certificate is not required.
Richard Clifton (March 23, 2005). "Solis-Espinoza v. Gonzales, 401 F.3d 1090". Ninth Circuit. Harvard Law School. p. 1094. The Immigration and Nationality Act ('INA') was intended to keep families together. It should be construed in favor of family units and the acceptance of responsibility by family members.
William Orrick III (October 7, 1981). "Petition for Naturalization of Tubig ex rel. Tubig, 559 F. Supp. 2". U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Harvard Law School. p. 3. A person naturalized under § 1433(a) need not meet many of the requirements for naturalization—such as language, residence, and physical presence requirements—imposed upon those who seek naturalization under other provisions.... Thus, qualifying for naturalization under § 1433(a) can be of substantial importance to applicants for naturalization.
^ ab"Khan v. Barber, 253 F.2d 547". U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Harvard Law School. March 11, 1958. p. 548. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
^"UNHCR in Pakistan". Retrieved 2021-07-30. Since 2002, in what has become the world's largest assisted return programme, UNHCR has been facilitating voluntary repatriation of millions of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. Ten years after programme began, UNHCR has directly helped around 4.4 million Afghans to return home.
^"Families of Afghan Taliban Live in Pakistan, Interior Minister Says". Voice of America. June 27, 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-28. Pakistan's interior minister said Sunday that the families of Afghanistan's Taliban reside in his country, including in areas around the capital, Islamabad, and the insurgent group's members receive some medical treatment in local hospitals.
^"Italy warns of Afghan immigrant wave after troop pull-out". Geo News. June 23, 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-06. Italy has agreed to take in 270 people who worked with its soldiers and may accept another 400, the defence ministry said last week.
^"The Afghan writer who made Dublin home". UNHCR. September 22, 2016. Retrieved 2021-07-31. Nasruddin Saljuqi had to flee from Afghanistan when war broke out. Now he lives in Ireland and is a writer and an advocate for integration of asylum seekers and refugees.
^"'Welcome Home': First Group of Evacuated Afghan Interpreters Arrive in US". WMAQ-TV. July 30, 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-30. The interpreters and their family members are being resettled under a visa program for those who worked with U.S. troops and now face retaliation from the Taliban amid America's withdrawal