Concerns Mount for Afghan Community in Australia as Speculation Surrounds Potential Closure

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Members of the Afghan Australian community are concerned about the future of Afghanistan’s embassy, after reports the federal government has advised the current ambassador his diplomatic credentials won’t be renewed in February.

Ambassador Wahidullah Waissi, appointed in 2017, has stayed on at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country in 2021.

It’s considered an embassy-in-exile but has continued to issue official documents such as passports, visas, and verifying IDs to thousands of Afghan citizens living in Australia.

But its services haven’t been operating as normal since the Taliban announced in July 2024 that it would no longer recognise consular documents issued by 14 embassies related to the former republic, including the Canberra facility.

The Afghan diaspora in Australia is grappling with uncertainty as the future of the Afghan embassy in Canberra remains unclear. This situation has left many feeling vulnerable, with key questions about the embassy’s operations still unanswered.

The Afghan embassy in Canberra, a pale building with a closed gate.

Located in Deakin, Canberra, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan stands as a pale building behind a closed gate, a symbol of the current diplomatic limbo.

“Even if they wish to provide documents, what’s the use if they’re not accepted? They simply can’t issue them,” remarked Ali Sarwari, CEO of Bamyan. He expressed the community’s frustration and concern over the embassy’s precarious status.

Travel agency Bamyan Air Travels, which has worked with the Afghan embassy for 19 years, said it hasn’t been able to obtain a single document through the embassy since the Taliban’s announcement.

“This feels like the second fall of Afghanistan for us. We’ve already lost our homeland, and now we face uncertainty in what we consider our second home,” added a member of the Afghan community.

“They have no relationship or communication with the inside.”

Jonathan Muir, chief of protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and a former ambassador to Qatar, told SBS News it’s clear the embassy cannot continue to operate as it has been.

“The ambassador was sent and accredited to represent a sending state. In practice, that accreditation requires a subordinate of the sending state,” he said.

“That state no longer exists and practical risks are accruing around the provision of the services of the embassy.”

Independent Senator Fatima Payman has also voiced her concerns, advocating for Afghans in Australia and urging clarity on the embassy’s future to address the community’s distress.

A woman wearing a brown hijab looks forward with a serious expression on her face.

Independent senator Fatima Payman has expressed concerns on behalf of Afghans in Australia. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

“Under no circumstances, any Afghan across the country will support this idea of letting this happen.”

Unanswered questions

Outside the embassy in Canberra’s suburb of Deakin, Waissi had little to say about the future of the building he stood in front of.

He shook his head when asked what the Afghan community could expect in the coming months.

When asked what services the embassy is currently providing, Waissi said: “I’m not answering that question.”

The secrecy is only adding to the confusion for the Afghan community in Australia.

Currently, the only way to access document services is through a Taliban delegate.

However, Professor William Maley from the Australian National University said forming such a relationship would be a potential security risk for Afghans who have fled the regime.

“Somebody acting in a consular fashion on behalf of the Taliban might then demand access to the personal records of people who have interacted with the embassy in the past,” he said.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Michaelia Cash said a diplomatic relationship with the Taliban should not be on the table.

“The Taliban are a violent and oppressive regime that basically breach human rights on a daily basis,” she said.

“Australia must absolutely maintain constant vigilance in relation to never recognising the Taliban regime.”

Without clear answers from either the embassy or the federal government, Payman said the community is anxious about the future.

“There has been a void created by the government’s secrecy and the department’s lack of responses, and as you can imagine, the community is rightfully anxious.”

This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Pashto.