We are three human rights lawyers who are involved in providing legal support to families caught in the present humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. We do this on a pro bono (voluntary) basis and are asking for your help to raise the funds to file expedited humanitarian parole applications for Afghan families we are in direct communication with.

Humanitarian Parole allows people who are in exceptional circumstances and in danger to temporarily enter United States without visas. During that time, they can complete their applications to change their legal status. More about Humanitarian Parole can be found here.

We are filing Humanitarian Parole applications for key vulnerable Afghan groups and their families, including health professionals, human rights defenders, cultural workers, and public servants. They are all in grave and imminent danger due to the nature of their work and/or ethnic backgrounds. And while needing to leave Afghanistan urgently, they have little support because they lack connections with global north institutions.

The cost of filing – a prohibitive fee of $575 for every person in the family, infant and elder alike – has become an insurmountable roadblock for many who can benefit from this protection mechanism. We need community support to pay for the filing fees and give these vulnerable Afghan groups a chance to reach safety.

Among those we are assisting is:

An Afghan doctor and his family. The doctor supported some of the most marginalized communities including people who use drugs, sex workers, people in detention, and LGBTQI people in accessing essential and life-saving harm reduction services. He also supported family planning and access to sexual and reproductive health services for women in rural areas. Further, his wife and daughter were election integrity monitors, and are therefore also at grave risk. They and their family, in total seven people, need to get out of Afghanistan immediately.
A local human rights defender and his family. The human rights defender was based in one of the rural provinces and oversaw prisons and detention centers. Their life is in grave danger now that some of the most hardened Taliban fighters have been freed from prison and have access to files and records and know him in person.
A female lawyer and public defender who is experiencing heightened risk as she represented survivors of GBV in courts and informal justice mechanisms. She represented family of Farkhunda Malikzada, the young woman accused of burning the Quran, whose murder by an angry mob was captured on video. She is a visible women’s rights defender and had engaged in numerous legal reforms to bring more justice and equality to vulnerable groups.

Humanitarian Parole applications also require applicants to have a local sponsor. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please email: LSforAfghans@gmail.com.

All funds raised will go directly and specifically to filing fees, the expedited mailing costs for applications, the Givebutter transaction fees, and providing emergency assistance to families. Any additional unused funds will be provided to families to support urgent and short-term relocation costs. As administration for this coordination begins, funds will be channeled through the Afghan Legal Empowerment Portal in a specifically designated account. Our work is in coordination with ATLAS Women and the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice. Information about our previous work can be found on the websites of those organizations and through our personal pages: Farnoosh Hashemian, Freshta Karimi, and Elisabeth Wickeri.   

Urgent Legal Support to At Risk Afghan Families

By Farnoosh Hashemian

Urgent Legal Support to At Risk Afghan Families

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