Amnesty Urges UK To Lift Asylum Restrictions On Afghan Women

In a joint report released on April 16, the groups said acceptance rates for Afghan asylum seekers in the UK have fallen sharply from 96% to 34%, leaving hundreds of women denied refuge in 2025 alone.

They warned that the decline comes despite Afghan women fleeing one of the world's harshest systems of gender repression in Afghanistan, where restrictions severely limit education, employment, and freedom of movement.

The report said UK policies aimed at tightening immigration control are effectively restricting access to protection for those most in need, particularly vulnerable women and girls.

It added that many Afghan women face what it described as“systematic exclusion,” with shrinking international support compounding their already precarious conditions.

Since the return of the Taliban in 2021, women in Afghanistan have faced sweeping curbs on basic rights, prompting widespread concern from global human rights organizations.

The UK, a signatory to international human rights frameworks, has pledged to support women and girls under the United Nations agenda on women, peace, and security.

The groups called on the UK government to reverse restrictive asylum measures, expand safe pathways, and ensure Afghan women receive the protection aligned with international commitments.

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