NUJ co-signs open letter to the Home Office urging support for Afghan journalists
The union has joined groups in asking the Home Secretary to provide clarification on support available for Afghan journalists in danger.
The National Union of Journalists has raised ongoing concerns over the safety of Afghan journalists in a letter to Suella Braverman. Alongside Index on Censorship, PEN International and English PEN, the NUJ has sought clarity from government on planned action to support at-risk journalists the UK government has failed.
Pathway Three of government’s Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ARCS) has not opened for applications, despite it being a route for relocation of “wider groups of Afghans at risk.” Journalists in Afghanistan in hiding from the Taliban, and those now in countries including Pakistan and Iran await further clarity, while the risk of arrest and imprisonment remains.
The NUJ and stakeholders have called on Braverman to provide information on when the scheme will reopen, and to outline eligibility criteria for inclusion.
Since August 2021, many Afghan journalists have lived in heightened fear of Taliban militants and have failed to be relocated. The NUJ has repeatedly raised concerns with government, urging action as women journalists and those from marginalised backgrounds are among those facing increased risks of persecution.
Read the open letter.