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A Guide to Afghan Diaspora Engagement in Europe STUDY STUDY A Guide to Afghan Diaspora Engagement in Europe Examples of good practice and recommendations from the Vienna Networking Conference “Knowledge Transfer and Support” Ali Ahmad Final Report: March 2020 © Afghanischer Frauenverein e.V. Frauenverein © Afghanischer 2 A GUIDE TO AFGHAN DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT IN EUROPE A GUIDE TO AFGHAN DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT IN EUROPE 3 CONTENT 1. Foreword ....................................... 4 2. Introduction ..................................... 6 3. Background ..................................... 7 3.1. Diaspora Engagement. 8 3.2. Afghan diaspora for Afghanistan development . 8 4. Good Practice Examples ........................... 8 4.1. Austria . 9 4.2. Denmark . 21 4.3. Germany . 27 4.4. The Netherlands . 41 4.5. The United Kingdom . .47 5. Networking conference ........................... 53 6. Endnotes ...................................... 61 4 A GUIDE TO AFGHAN DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT IN EUROPE © OXUS/VIDC 1. FOREWORD On 2 and 3 December 2019, the VIDC held a network- of the conference developed recommendations for fu- ing conference entitled “ Knowledge Transfer and Sup- ture measures and for a better integration of Afghan port. The Role of the Afghan Diaspora in Europe”, in diaspora organisations in development and migration Vienna, Austria. For the first time in Austria, the con- policy. ference brought Afghan diaspora organisations and The VIDC took the conference as an opportunity to experts from nine European countries together with produce a guide on “Examples of Good Practice” of public institutions, international organisations and- de Afghan diaspora organisations. This guide presents 20 velopment NGOs in order to highlight the diversity of promising development projects from five countries Afghan associations and discuss best practice examples that have been implemented by Afghan diaspora organ- from various European countries. In the plenums and isations in Europe since the Taliban were ousted from workshops of the conference, the status quo of dias- power by US-led coalition troops in 2001. In addition, pora and migration policy in Europe and Afghanistan the guide presents five projects of active Afghan dias- was discussed, as well as financing models, networking pora initiatives in Austria, which are mainly active in the of Afghan diaspora organisations, (self-)empowerment intercultural field. The guide is intended to support Eu- of Afghan women, the challenges of project work in ropean development organisations and donor countries Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the problems of Afghan in using the potential of Afghan diaspora organisations refugees in Pakistan and in Europe with regards to in- and to provide an incentive for development cooper- tegration. In addition, the more than 100 participants ation in Austria. The draft guide was discussed at the A GUIDE TO AFGHAN DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT IN EUROPE 5 conference and a chapter on challenges and recom- countries in 2019, which is three times as much as was mendations was added. made available for development cooperation and aid Making these diaspora initiatives visible, and pro- worldwide in the same period. moting them, is of central importance to the VIDC. For this guide we would like to thank Ali Ahmad Most of the actors from the diasporas who are com- in particular, who researched the “Examples of Good mitted to development policy are barely noticed in the Practice” with great perseverance and commitment development policy scene. This is due to the fact that and prepared the results of the conference for us. We diaspora organisations are very often only informally -or would also like to thank the conference rapporteurs ganised or are only weakly institutionalised themselves; - Aadilah Amin, Abdulrab Habibyar, Sola Safi and Zaf- they mainly carry out voluntary work and have few re- ar Shayan - for compiling the challenges and recom- sources available for marketing and lobbying. Neverthe- mendations. We would also like to thank the Afghan less, they provide individual and collective services for associations AKIS, NEUER START, Afghan Wulas, KATIB, the countries of origin and thus support private health the Intercultural Development Centre, the student or- care, education and other comparable development co- ganisation IGASUS and Fivestones for their support in operation services. It is difficult to assess the extent to research and the years of good cooperation with the which diaspora organisations influence developments VIDC. Finally, we would also like to thank our editor Kim in their respective countries of origin (or that of their Traill, who ensured that the guide became a coherent parents). In most cases, the discussion on this topic re- document. fers to remittances made by migrants to their countries of origin. According to the World Bank, $USD551 billion Michael Fanizadeh of these remittances flowed to low and middle-income Project Coordinator, VIDC 6 A GUIDE TO AFGHAN DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT IN EUROPE 2. INTRODUCTION This guide identifies promising development projects pora associations have a long tradition in Austria, Den- implemented by Afghan diasporas in Europe since mark, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom the Taliban were ousted from power by U.S.-led and other European countries. coalition forces in 2001. It also attempts to assist In 2010, the Danish Refugee Council initiated Di- development agencies and donor countries to utilise aspora Program to recognise the role of diasporas as the human potential of Afghan diaspora communities. an “integral part of the international aid system”. The The experience of “engaging the diaspora to carry DRC’s assistance in mapping Afghan diaspora organi- out development projects in the countries of origin sations in Europe has been crucial to the preparation of diaspora has produced significant impacts on the of this guide. A joint project by the Centre for Interna- development of their home countries”.1 tional Migration and Development (CIM) and the Ger- Afghan diaspora community initiatives include the many Society for International Cooperation (Deutsche provision of development assistance to schools and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit – GIZ) healthcare centres, women’s empowerment and sport supports the political and development engagement of programs, projects to improve social status, along with diasporas in their home countries. This support ranges direct investment into small and medium-sized enter- from assistance in applying for project funding, to the prises. During times of crisis in particular, Afghan dias- planning and implementation of projects in the field. pora members use their local networks in both Europe This publication provides practical guidance with and Afghanistan to mobilise and channel humanitarian practical examples on how to utilise the potential of and financial aid directly, thereby avoiding complex and the Afghan diaspora to the Austrian Federal Ministry, time-consuming bureaucratic procedures. In 2018, the the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), other donor Afghan Government began to recognise the positive agencies in Austria and Europe, as well as to interna- contribution of its diaspora abroad towards the coun- tional humanitarian non-government organisations -in try’s development through its partnership with the di- terested in migration and development. Additionally, aspora program of the International Organisation for we wish to further encourage Afghan diasporas to use Migration (IOM)2. their knowledge of their home country, along with their Diaspora organisations also facilitate integration and familial, social, and political connections, to implement provide essential support to migrants in their new development projects in Afghanistan. countries of residence. Such initiatives by Afghan dias- A GUIDE TO AFGHAN DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT IN EUROPE 7 © AFV 3. BACKGROUND Afghanistan’s past forty years are a history of invasion, casualties, territorial gains by the Taliban, the emer- violence, displacement and migration. The never- gence of Daesh and extreme poverty affecting 54.5% of ending war has driven millions of people from their the population (2016)3. homes, forcing them into lives of constant flight. After There are no official statistics regarding the number decades of armed conflict, millions of Afghans still live of Afghans fleeing their country. Since the 2015-16 ref- as refugees outside their country’s national borders. ugee influx into Europe, tightening migration policies According to a 2018 report by the United Nations and stricter border controls within the EU have led to High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 2.7 million a dramatic drop in the number of Afghans entering the Afghans are registered with the organisation as living continent. First-time asylum applications by Afghan -ref outside Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees ugees in the second quarter of 2019 in the EU28 fell to and Repatriation (MoRR) estimates more than five 10,190.4 million Afghans (both registered and unregistered) This large-scale migration over several decades has reside in neighbouring Pakistan, Iran and beyond. led to a significant increase in the size of Afghan dias- After Syrians, Afghans constituted the second largest pora communities in the EU and worldwide. In 2014, group seeking asylum in Europe during the so-called 14,016 Afghans were registered in Austria. At begin- “refugee crisis” in 2015-16. Political uncertainty, the ning of 1.1.2019 this number had increased to 44,420. deteriorating security situation
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