UK govt to take inputs from Afghan Sikhs, Hindus for asylum applications

  • | Monday | 14th January, 2019

This anomaly needs to be rectified to ensure that justice is done to the applicants and UK tax payers.”Formed by Afghan Sikh community that entered the UK as refugees from Afghanistan and settled in London, the GGND is also registered as Afghan Ekta Cultural Religious Community Center. Kaur said that the minister also informed that the country guidance on Afghanistan was due to be updated.The meeting with minister was arranged by MP Emma Hardy, who had highlighted the plight of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus in the UK Parliament on December 3, 2017. These applicants, on appeal, are found by judges of the Immigration Tribunal to be in need of protection, based on the current situation in Afghanistan. It has over 20,000 members in UK and over 1 lakh worldwide.Kaur said that Nokes had assured the representatives that she would ask the policy officers to contact the Afghan Sikh and Hindu community for the latest information on their plights in Afghanistan. She had said that the Home Office asylum guidance for Afghan Sikhs was in desperate need of updating.Kaur said she had also briefed the minister on the ongoing efforts to ensure the UN reports also reflected the real and immediate risk of religious persecution of Sikhs and Hindus, following the recent escalation in violence.The comes days after the Indian government clearing the redrafted Citizenship Amendment Bill that would help Afghan Hindus and Sikhs living in India in getting citizenship.

AMRITSAR: The UK government has agreed to take inputs from Afghan Sikhs and Hindus regarding their plights for processing of their asylum applications.The decision to obtain input from Afghan Sikh and Hindu community to update the country guidance was taken by UK minister of state for immigration Caroline Nokes during a meeting with representatives of GGND and Sikh body United Sikhs, said international legal director of United Sikhs, Mejinderpal Kaur.Spokesperson of Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar (GGND) , UK, Premi Singh told TOI on Sunday, “Sikh and Hindu applicants for asylum are being refused by the UK Home Office that relies on a country guidance which is outdated. These applicants, on appeal, are found by judges of the Immigration Tribunal to be in need of protection, based on the current situation in Afghanistan. This anomaly needs to be rectified to ensure that justice is done to the applicants and UK tax payers.”Formed by Afghan Sikh community that entered the UK as refugees from Afghanistan and settled in London, the GGND is also registered as Afghan Ekta Cultural Religious Community Center. It has over 20,000 members in UK and over 1 lakh worldwide.Kaur said that Nokes had assured the representatives that she would ask the policy officers to contact the Afghan Sikh and Hindu community for the latest information on their plights in Afghanistan. Kaur said that the minister also informed that the country guidance on Afghanistan was due to be updated.The meeting with minister was arranged by MP Emma Hardy, who had highlighted the plight of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus in the UK Parliament on December 3, 2017. She had said that the Home Office asylum guidance for Afghan Sikhs was in desperate need of updating.Kaur said she had also briefed the minister on the ongoing efforts to ensure the UN reports also reflected the real and immediate risk of religious persecution of Sikhs and Hindus, following the recent escalation in violence.The comes days after the Indian government clearing the redrafted Citizenship Amendment Bill that would help Afghan Hindus and Sikhs living in India in getting citizenship.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

₹ 10 - ₹ 1000

NYOOOZ FRIEND

₹ 2000 - ₹ 5000

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Amritsar Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles
UK govt to take inputs from Afghan Sikhs, Hindus for asylum applications
  • Monday | 14th January, 2019
This summer, beat the heat with measured fluid intake
  • Tuesday | 19th May, 2020
‘Emotional intelligence need of hour’
  • Wednesday | 11th December, 2019
Schools need to beef up students’ EQ
  • Wednesday | 11th December, 2019