The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghan women fleeing Taliban rule are increasingly being denied asylum in the United Kingdom, undermining the country’s commitments to women’s rights and protection, Amnesty International UK has warned in a new briefing.
The report, published in coordination with the Gender Action
for Peace and Security (GAPS) network, said asylum approval rates for Afghan
applicants have dropped sharply from 96% to 34% since the current UK government
took office. At least 370 Afghan women and girls were refused asylum in 2025
alone.
Amnesty said policies presented as efforts to restore
“control” over migration are instead designed to deter asylum seekers,
particularly women and girls escaping Taliban restrictions.
Campaigners warned that the consequences are severe, with
women fleeing systemic oppression being turned away by a country that claims
global leadership on women’s rights.
Afghanistan remains one of the most restrictive environments
for women globally, where they face widespread bans on education, employment and
public participation, along with strict limits on movement and expression. Many
women are effectively confined to their homes under threat of punishment.
“This is the reality women are fleeing,” the report said,
adding that current UK asylum policies are failing to provide adequate
protection.
Karla McLaren, head of government affairs at Amnesty
International UK, said Afghanistan is among the worst places in the world to be
a woman, with women systematically excluded from public life and denied basic
rights.
“As the Taliban tightens its grip, the proportion of women
granted safety here is falling. That is indefensible,” she said.
McLaren also criticized UK asylum decision-making, calling
it a “moral and practical collapse” that denies refuge to women despite clear
evidence of the risks they face.
“Denying protection to women who should be recognized as
refugees and subjecting them to prolonged uncertainty is not strength, but
cruelty,” she added.
The briefing also highlighted a broader pattern of restrictive
measures, including rising refusal rates, plans to reduce refugee status from
five years to 30 months, and proposals that could delay permanent settlement
for up to 20 years.
It also cited the ending of refugee family reunification
pathways, which campaigners say disproportionately affects women and children
seeking safe routes.
Advocates warned that taken together, these policies amount
to a system designed to deter asylum seekers rather than protect those in need.
The report further noted that such policies risk undermining
the UK’s role in advancing the United Nations Security Council’s Women, Peace
and Security agenda.
Campaigners urged the UK government to restore family
reunification rules, repeal restrictive asylum measures, expand safe pathways
for women and girls, and strengthen protections for recognized refugees.
The briefing also examined how current policies contradict
commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which focuses on
protecting women affected by conflict.
