#StopDeportationToAfghanistan - Monika Weilguni

"People who are deported to Afghanistan are exposed to fear and hatred, torture and terror, war and death" Monika Weilguni, Chaplain

Monika Weilguni speaks out what is reality in Afghanistan. Those who are deported to Afghanistan are exposed to inhumane situations from day one. Not only are they brought back to a high-risk area after years in Austria, during which they were able to experience a peaceful life, integrate and make friends, they are also met with fear, mistrust and hatred. And death is lurking for them everywhere.

Just like here, the opinion prevails in Afghanistan that only people who have become criminals in Europe are deported. This is in no way true. We NGOs and many supporters know that this is not true. 100s of blameless, hard-working young people from Afghanistan receive a negative asylum decision in Austria. Inadequate experts, populist politicians, legal advisors who are more interested in political "wishes" than in the reality in Afghanistan and the security and rights of the people, the "Joint Way Forward Deal-Afghanistan", etc. contribute to deportations to a country at war like Afghanistan. https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/afghanistan-nach-anschlag-101.html

The young returnees are often ostracised by their families, get into situations where they are blackmailed because they are assumed to have Austrian support, alone and defenceless they are exposed to the daily brutality of the country. There is no reintegration support whatsoever, as is claimed on the part of European countries. I myself am in contact with young deportees, pupils, HTL graduates, workers, even a convert (!). All of them live in great fear, some of them are hiding, others have gone on the run again. Not a single one of them can build an independent, safe life after their return, let alone lead one. Afghanistan expert, Dr. Friederieke Stahlmann, has dealt with this scientifically and describes it in her study https://www.proasyl.de/news/studie-zur-situation-abgeschobener-afghanen-bedrohungen-gewalt-chancenlosigkeit/.

Our politicians accept this violation of human rights in order to run populist, inhuman campaigns that serve only to maintain their own power.

The culmination of this consistent cruelty is now being expressed by those affected by the campaign of the current minister, former LR Rudi Anschober #AusbildungStattAbschiebung. Highly integrated, well-trained professionals are to be deported to the war-torn country of Afghanistan immediately after completing their apprenticeship. http://ausbildung-statt-abschiebung.at/

It is misleadingly said that we have enough Corona-related unemployment. The fact that this hardly, if at all, affects well-trained skilled workers is concealed. This is a "small" example of how inhuman and irresponsible the political situation is towards those seeking protection.

Serious NGOs have been fighting for years for fair asylum procedures, procedures without arbitrariness. This also means that we have to accept negative decisions if they are made in fair and correct procedures. What we never want to and can never accept are arbitrary, politically influenced procedures in which the decision-makers often have no idea about the country of origin and we do not accept deportations to war zones like Afghanistan. https://www.sichersein.at/

The federal government must become aware of the actual situation in Afghanistan, and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) should also remember its much-vaunted "Christian social values". Party members who, in personal conversations with us, make it known that they personally do not support deportations to a war-torn country like Afghanistan, should finally raise their voices publicly. If they do not do so, they are complicit.

Monika Weilguni, a chaplain from Linz, Upper Austria, has been committed to people fleeing for years and is a reliable contact person for those affected as well as for me and many others. I thank her most sincerely for this and for her statement. Heartfelt thanks dear Monika!

#AfghanistanIsNotSafe #BeSafe #HumanRights