Afghans make up one of the largest groups of asylum seekers to Europe. How is the security situation in Afghanistan and what types of persecution are Afghans fleeing from?
In 2017, Afghans were the third largest group of asylum seekers in Europe, after Syrians and Iraqis. Close to 44,000 people from Afghanistan filed first-time asylum applications in the EU.
Just like Syrians and Iraqis, Afghans are fleeing militant conflicts involving islamic extremists.
For decades, Afghanistan - a multi-ethnic country in central Asia - has faced a complex security situation.
Why is the security situation in Afghanistan so unstable?
The likely most impactful event in the country's recent history is the Afghanistan War, which began in 2001 when the United States invaded the country to take down the Taliban, an Islamist political organization that governed the country since 1996.
The Taliban had provided sanctuary to al-Qaeda, the organization that carried out the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in 2001. The United States government wanted to weed out Al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden, as well as taking out the Taliban.
When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 1996, they took over the country and turned it into an Islamic state based on their interpretation of Sharia law, a form of governance based on fundamental Islamic texts. Only two nations recognized the Taliban government, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. This meant the economy faced a rough period, as most nations would not trade with Afghanistan.
After September 11, 2001, the US and its allies helped the Northern Alliance, a military front that was against the Taliban, take back the country. In December 2001, the Taliban government fell. Soon after, Hamid Karzai became the new head of state of Afghanistan after an agreement between Western governments in Germany created a new administration for the country.
Taliban insurgency
Although the Taliban no longer governs the country, they still hold much power in many regions of the country. The organization has launched an insurgency against the Afghan government which was set up by Western powers. This insurgency has continued from 2001 until the present. The insurgents carry out terrorist attacks and bombings to destabilize the country.
The government in Afghanistan is fragile and has had difficulty countering the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) terror group, which also operates in the country. 2016 was the deadliest year in Afghanistan so far, with 3,498 civilians and 7,920 people wounded according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
Ethnic groups are persecuted
The migrants fleeing to Europe are fleeing from this unstable security situation. Some of them are also from ethnic minority groups, such as the Hazaras, a Shia group who live in the region of Hazarajat in the central part of Afghanistan. There are between 2.3 million to 3 million Hazaras in Afghanistan. In July 2016, on the Shia holiday of Ashura, 18 Hazara people were killed and 54 were injured by "IS."
Hazaras are being persecuted by the Taliban because of their status as a religious minority group.
The Tajiks are another group persecuted by the Taliban, due to their history of supporting the Soviets in the past.
Afghan-Hindus also face persecution from the Taliban and "IS" due to their status as a non-Muslim minority group as well as from conservative Afghanistan's predominantly Muslim society.
Another group of asylum seekers from Afghanistan seeking protection are those who convert to Christianity, who could also face persecution from "IS" and the Taliban as well as wider Afghan society for leaving Islam.
Gul Jehan's story: 'They harassed me when they found out I was a Hazara'
How are the Afghan asylum seekers coming to Europe?
Afghan asylum seekers mainly travel through Iran and Turkey to reach Europe. Many of the Afghan asylum seekers are already in Iran and have stayed there for long periods of time, but some try leave to Europe due to poor conditions and treatment by the Iranian government. Asylum seekers from Afghanistan also face discrimination and are not treated in the same regard as Syrians in Turkey. Some of the asylum seekers are being pushed back from Europe and returned to Afghanistan. According to an October 2017 report by human rights organization Amnesty International, the number of people returned from Europe to Afghanistan nearly tripled from 2015 to 2016 - from 3,290 people to 9,460.
Read more about Afghan asylum seekers in Turkey
In 2015 and 2016, hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers, many of them Afghans, poured over the Balkan route. On March 9th, 2016, the route was closed. Although many of the Afghans wanted to go to Germany, Scandinavia or France, the closure of the route means many of them are stuck in countries such as Greece, Bulgaria or Serbia.
Deportation debate in Germany
German politicians have debated whether or not the country is to be determined "safe" or not. More conservative parties such as the Christian Democratic Party and the Bavarian Conservative Social Party have been more in favor of deportations of Afghan migrants while more left-wing parties such as the Social Democratic Party and the Left party have been against it. From December 2016 to January 2018, there have been a total 155 Afghans deported from Germany to Afghanistan according to German government statistics.