An Afghan woman’s asylum claim has been rejected by the UK Home Office, despite her history of working with Western-backed initiatives to promote women’s rights in Afghanistan. Mina (not her real name) says she now lives in fear of being deported to a country where she faces serious threats under Taliban rule.
The woman, who fled Afghanistan after the 2021 Taliban takeover, previously trained and mentored women through Western government projects—roles that put her in direct danger. “I assumed my asylum claim would be granted,” Mina said. “I am from Afghanistan, I’m a woman, I worked with Western governments.” She now faces severe mental distress over the possibility of being returned.
Life Under Threat in Afghanistan
Mina recounted narrowly surviving bomb blasts and kidnappings during her time supporting women’s empowerment in Afghanistan. “Every morning when I said goodbye to my family to go to work, I thought it might be the last time I saw them,” she said.
She also described witnessing the Taliban’s dismantling of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, replacing it with the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, marking what she called “the systematic elimination of women.”
Despite well-documented dangers for women like Mina, the Home Office rejected her asylum claim, stating she does not face a real risk of persecution and “likely has a great support network due to your occupation.” Mina says most of her former colleagues have fled or gone into hiding, rendering such networks nonexistent.
Sharp Drop in Afghan Asylum Approvals
Recent immigration statistics reveal a troubling trend. In the last quarter of 2024, 26 Afghan women had their asylum claims refused. Overall, 2,000 Afghan asylum seekers were denied protection, compared to just 48 in the same period of 2023. Approval rates for Afghan claims have plummeted from 98.5% in late 2023 to 36% by the end of 2024.
Human rights organizations have also documented the deteriorating situation for Afghan women. The 2025 Human Rights Watch report highlights a steep decline in women’s safety and rights under Taliban rule, underscoring the risks that returnees like Mina would face.
Legal Response and Public Outcry
Mina’s solicitor, Jamie Bell of Duncan Lewis, condemned the decision. “This is a particularly upsetting case where the Home Office states that a woman who risked her life defending women’s rights would not be at risk on return. This refusal is offensive to all those who stood for Western values in Afghanistan.”
For Mina, the refusal has shattered the safety and hope she once felt upon arriving in the UK. “In Afghanistan I was not considered a human,” she said. “Here, I learned to ride a bicycle for the first time. I was full of hope. But now, it feels like someone pressed pause on my life. I hope someone will press play again.”
The Home Office, when approached for comment, stated: “It is our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases.”
