Afghan refugees face an uncertain future as Europe shifts to the right

Steenwijk, The Netherlands – Abdul Wali shows me a special coin and certificate he received in 2023 from the Dutch government for his services in Afghanistan.

To him, the items symbolise a promise the Netherlands made when about 4,500 Afghan staff – most working as interpreters, security guards and for the European Union’s police mission – and family members were evacuated from Afghanistan after the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021.

Dramatic images of Afghans scrambling to enter Kabul airport as US aircraft took off went viral, highlighting the fear many in the country felt about the new powerholders in Afghanistan.

European governments, including the Netherlands, came under heavy criticism for the chaotic evacuation process that saw thousands of vulnerable Afghans, who worked for the former administration or foreign entities, left behind.

Abdul Wali arrived in the Netherlands in November 2021, after Dutch politicians and military personnel lobbied for his evacuation. He had received threats from the Taliban due to his work for a Dutch NGO, Cordaid, and helping an interpreter associated with the Netherlands military.

“We are a targeted group of the Taliban; we are known to them,” he told Al Jazeera.

Five years later, he, his wife and four children were starting a new life in a quiet neighbourhood in Steenwijk, a small town in the north of the Netherlands. They made friends with their Dutch neighbours and learned the language. Their three daughters attend a local school, and Abdul Wali found work at a local factory.

Last June, the family were able to apply for Dutch passports, but then the government suddenly changed the law and threatened the new life they had begun.