Briefing prepared by Ahmad Shuja Jamal, Special Advisor to Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA)
Afghanistan’s neighbours closed their borders to Afghans after 15 August 2021. Some have reopened them to foot traffic and flights in recent months as Kabul airport works to resume full operations. Though the issuance of visas remains severely restricted, Afghans with appropriate paperwork can easily access outbound commercial flights from Kabul to Pakistan, Iran and the UAE. It is possible to negotiate with these and other countries to issue temporary visas for Afghans being considered for resettlement to Australia.