UAE Arbitrarily Detains 2,700 Afghan Evacuees: Rights Group

According to the organization, detainees were not given any legal opportunities to obtain refugee status in the United Arab Emirates or seek resettlement elsewhere. They are housed in Emirates Humanitarian City in Abu Dhabi without access to legal counsel or adequate education for their children, HRW said in a report. 

"Living conditions have also deteriorated significantly, with detainees describing overcrowding, decay of infrastructure, and insect infestations," the report said, adding that many detainees are suffering from depression and other psychological ailments. 

The U.S. State Department office that is responsible for the relocation of Afghans responded to the report by saying that the U.S. commitment to resettling evacuees, including those being held in Abu Dhabi - is an "enduring one.” However, between 2,500 and 2,700 Afghans did not qualify for resettlement elsewhere and remained in "arbitrary detention" as of January, according to HRW. 

"Emirati authorities have kept thousands of Afghan asylum seekers locked up for over 15 months in cramped, miserable conditions with no hope of progress on their cases," said Human Rights Watch's UAE researcher Joey Shea.

The UAE offered to temporarily host thousands of Afghan refugees evacuated from the country after the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021. The evacuees were housed in Emirates Humanitarian City and Tasameem Workers City with many having been approved for resettlement in the U.S., Canada and other countries.