In recent years, the streets of New Delhi have witnessed a quiet yet persistent form of resistance. Afghan refugees, women, men, and children alike, are raising their voices against neglect and bureaucratic indifference. Their protests, often directed at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for delays in processing asylum applications, also reveal a deeper and more troubling truth: India’s policies toward Afghan refugees remain largely apathetic, despite the country’s self-proclaimed status as a regional partner of the Afghan people.

The writ of humanitarianism cannot remain a rhetorical device in diplomacy.

India more often than not presents itself as a supporter of humanitarian principles and peace within a region on the international front. Formal discourse and foreign ministers ‘ spokespersons have been hinting at unity with the people of Afghanistan, particularly given the humanitarian crisis and state indulgence in political turmoil that has plagued Afghanistan in recent decades. There is more to these carefully selected, diplomatic messages, however, and the unpleasant truth about the situation of Afghan refugees in India is that systematic discrimination, neglect, and a virtually complete absence of effective aid are present.

Waiting has characterized the lives of most of these refugees as years slip by in search of legal status, simple documentation, and a chance of finding stability. Most of the Afghan families can not enjoy the basic rights that other citizens tend to enjoy because of their non-legalized status.

The problems of the Afghanistan refugees in Delhi go way beyond the bureaucratic delays. Children continue to have little access to education, one of the most basic human rights, which is accepted on a global scale. Most of the Afghan kids cannot attend the local schools because of the bureaucratic hurdles and laxity in administration. This has subsequently left an entire generation of people living without a formal education and the scope that they never decided to expand is lesser.

The battle is not over with education. Access to healthcare services as well as social services is also very difficult. Refugees commonly find places where they are shunned by hospitals or refused to receive medical attention due to the absence of documentation. The denial is more detrimental to the vulnerable age groups, which include the aged, expectant mothers, and people with chronic diseases. It is not just inconveniences on an administrative level; these are matters of life or death.

Such obstacles are compounded by another issue of attaining a valid and sustainable mode of income earning. To sustain themselves, many Afghan refugees are engaged in informal work as they undertake low-paying, temporary jobs. Families are pushed back into poverty, and their strength is challenged every day by an environment that provides no way, no mechanism, through which they can climb the ladder upwards.

Refugees are not a burden, they are workers, dreamers, and community-builders.

The Afghan refugees themselves are likely to be isolated and directly discriminated against even within their community. Many testimonies have described cases where refugees are insolently abused, harassed, and alienated, which further increases feelings of alienation. The feeling of belonging and general mental state of refugees is severely impaired when they exist in a society where they are not allowed and, therefore, not safe.

This type of exclusion stands in high contrast to India and its diplomacy, constantly referring to its historical and cultural connection to Afghanistan. In the real world, Afghan refugees have a feeling that they are unwanted or forgotten, despite the rhetoric of the Indian leaders about friendship.

It is always said that a real friend is the one who is with you in times of need. Although Pakistan won the poor job in this game, the process of accepting the Afghan refugees still reflects a more committed policy, whereas the practice of India is marked with exclusion and indifference. Millions of Afghans have been living in Pakistan for the last 4 decades without facing major political and economic difficulties, being in a stable environment in which they are offered basic health conditions, education, and integration.

There are others, however, such as the Afghan refugees in India who have been pleading outside UNHCR offices for years with placards showing what they want, namely dignity, given the policies of apathy in which they are continually denied shelter.

The ethical question that arises here in the case of Indian refugee policy towards the Afghan asylum seekers is whether to apply the humanitarian responsibilities or the political expediencies in relation to the protection of the refugees. A proclamation of sympathy can be used to improve India’s foreign relations abroad, but this rhetoric cannot be seen at all in the everyday life of the refugees in Afghanistan.

Afghan children in Delhi are being denied the tools to secure their future.

Even though refugee advocates and human rights organisations have urged changes in policies, not much in the way of policy change has occurred. In its place, refugees are still being discriminated against and locked out of healthcare, education, and jobs. They are also never heard when decisions concerning policies are being made, but when protests happen, they can be heard.

Perhaps the most tragic aspect of this crisis is how it affects children. Afghan children in Delhi who are not given access to formal education do not acquire the skills and opportunities necessary to build a secure future. Society as a whole is also impacted by the loss; policies that prioritise bureaucracy over empathy waste the potential contributions of a whole generation. This failure stands in sharp contrast to the universal values of equality, humanity, and dignity that India regularly claims it upholds in its constitutional and international obligations.

The way to solve this issue is to change the approach. The refugees are not to be regarded as benevolent recipients of charity and as a short-term administrative burden. They are free-willed workers who have goals, the power to improve their communities.

Legal residents and documentation, access to the public schools and health care, and developing career opportunities in the practice of law are some of the most crucial policy actions that are necessary. Moreover, the societal bias needs to be nullified with the help of public awareness that underlines humanity and the strength of refugees.

Ultimately, the plight of Afghan refugees in Delhi is a blow to the ideals set by India in regard to its word and values of being humanitarian. Friendship presupposes stability consisting in words and deeds. Although speeches on the peace and unity of the region can be received with admiration on the diplomatic platforms, friendship is also characterised to help at the time when the people in need require help most of all.

Besides shelter, the Afghan refugees in India need security, eminence, and integration. A society that contravenes these fundamental rights not only acts against the refugees but it endangers its moral backbone as well.

India’s exclusionary refugee policy endangers its moral backbone.

With ongoing demonstrations in the streets of Delhi, the testimonies of Afghan refugees are a cold reminder that humanitarianism cannot be dismissed as a mere rhetorical issue in the discourse of diplomacy, as the motives of improvement on a large scale cannot permeate the outside world without addressing their humanitarian needs in the first place. Only then will India experience real solidarity in the friendship between India and the people of Afghanistan, which can move beyond symbolic meaninglessness.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.