‘Critical’ risk: Senior Afghan government figures who studied at Australian universities trapped in Kabul

Grave fears held for about 40 Afghans who studied in Australia and were senior government figures before Taliban took over.

Taliban fighters in a vehicle patrol the streets of Kabul on August 23. Picture: Wakil Kohsar/AFP

Grave fears are held for about 40 Afghans who studied at Australian universities and occupied some of the highest roles in their country’s government before it was toppled by the Taliban.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a list of their names and is believed to be reconsidering offering them asylum, but only contacted them on Monday to discuss their evacuation.

The graduates were recipients of Australian government scholarships later returned to Afghanistan to take up roles as ministers, deputy ministers, directors-general, and department heads.

The president of the Afghanistan Australia Alumni Association, who The Australian cannot name to protect his security, said the group had applied for refugee visas but remained in hiding in Kabul.

The man, a former senior bureaucrat in the Afghan government with a wife and five children, studied at the Australian National University in Canberra in 2012 and 2013.

He said the group faced an uncertain future under the Taliban.

“Almost all of the alumni have received death threats, or they have been targeted,” he told The Australian.

“There was one magnet bomb blast on the armoured vehicle of a member (a regulatory authority). His armoured vehicle was torn apart completely but fortunately he only had minor injuries.”

A fellow Afghan graduate who remained in Canberra and now works at ANU, Dr Nemat Bizhan, said the group was at serious risk.

“First, they studied overseas and are associated with Australia: and second, they are working with the government, some in senior positions,” Dr Bizhan said.

“This is a critical situation. The Australian government should provide them with protection visas so they can at least evacuate if there is a chance.

“We don‘t know about their future if they remain in Afghanistan. Things are very uncertain.”

Other nations, including the United States and Germany, have already evacuated large numbers of Afghans who studied at their universities.

The association president said the group still wanted to serve their country but it was too dangerous for them to remain there.
“I believe this group would still make a contribution to Afghanistan even if they are diaspora, in terms of writing policies and making representations,” he said.

“Perhaps some of them could return back into the country through some international development agencies where they could contribute.”