My trip to Greece

In the evening, I had an appointment with former Green MP Nikos Chrysogelos, who is now involved in local socio-ecological projects. Our meeting place was a special one: the Welcommon Hostel. It had always been planned as a joint accommodation for tourists and asylum seekers, but after the massive decline in tourism in Greece, the hostel had many vacant rooms. Since many state-funded shelters had been closed at the same time, the rooms now benefit refugees in need of protection. During the meeting, Nikos Chrysogelos introduced me to a number of former Afghan judges and prosecutors who were evacuated from the country with the help of the International Bar Association and are now staying at the Welcommon Hostel, among other places. In our conversation, it quickly became clear how gruelling it must be for them to wait for the approval of resettlement applications and the onward journey to family members in other EU Member States, who they wish to reunite with. We urgently need more flexibility and pragmatic solutions here because it is clear that these people will not be able to return to Afghanistan any time soon. And of course, we mustn’t forget the countless people who are still in the country due to a lack of contacts and resources.

The following day, I finally met the Afghan MPs in the rooms of the Melissa Network. This organisation was, among others, instrumental in the evacuation of the women and provides them with a platform for exchange and networking. As the MPs have not all been housed in the same place since their arrival in Greece, the meeting provided them with a welcome opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss future strategies.

Of the former 69 female MPs, around 25 are in Greece. The rest have gone to Turkey, the US, Canada or other European countries; according to BBC research, nine MPs are still in Afghanistan. One of the first to speak was Amina Afzali, former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. She had followed the return of the Taliban with sheer disbelief, which quickly turned to agony when she witnessed the destruction of lots of what had been achieved so far. After all, Afghan women have been fighting for their freedom and rights for the last 100 years – a period which has certainly included many setbacks. Much of what they have achieved in the last 20 years they now see being destroyed at a staggering pace, and although they are in exile, their conversations revolve almost exclusively around possible ways to somehow improve the situation on the ground.