Press TV
December 26, 2015

The British authorities are coming under increasing fire from rights groups for turning away Afghan refugees seeking asylum in the country.

UK charity Asylum Aid has slammed the Tory government for what it calls a “culture of disbelief” at the Home Office. Rights activists argue that the prevalent culture leaves refugees struggling to prove their right to protection.

“The UK grant rate (for applications) on average is 41 per cent but the average for Afghans is much lower…That gap often demonstrates the level of risk perceived by the Home Office,” the Independent quoted Debora Singer, the charity’s policy and research manager as saying.

This comes against the backdrop of worsening security situation in Afghanistan, where Taliban insurgency is escalating nearly 15 years after the US-led invasion of the country.

Clive Hambidge, a London-based political commentator, believes Afghan refugees do have the right to seek asylum in the UK.

“These poor people… who are fleeing conflict, fleeing war, fleeing poverty, have every right here to be properly represented” Hambidge told Press TV on Saturday.

Hambidge also said “it’s absolutely unfair” to send back Afghan refugees to their war-torn country where they face “increasing dangers”.

In a major change of policy, Germany has already started deporting Afghan asylum-seekers  in an attempt to control the refugee crisis in the country.

Afghans are seen as the second-largest group of asylum-seekers in Europe after Syrians.

According to UN statistics, Afghans make up nearly 21 percent of refugees arriving in Europe.

Over 120,000 Afghans requested asylum in Europe in 2015– more than twice as many as last year.