India introduces emergency e-visas for Afghan nationals amid crisis
India on Tuesday introduced a new category of emergency electronic visas (e-visas) for Afghan nationals in view of the situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, with priority to be given to those who stood by India or are facing threats.
All Afghans, irrespective of religion, will be eligible for the “e-Emergency X-Misc Visa” and applications will be processed in New Delhi since all Indian missions in Afghanistan are currently not operational, according to people familiar with developments. The visas will be valid for only six months for now, they said.
“The ministry of home affairs reviews visa provisions in view of the current situation in Afghanistan. A new category of electronic visa called ‘e-Emergency X-Misc Visa’ introduced to fast-track visa applications for entry into India,” a home ministry spokesperson said in a tweet.
The Indian government decided to provide visas to Afghan nationals keeping their “security in mind”, the people cited above said.
“Those who wish to travel to India can apply for this visa online following which applications will be examined and processed in New Delhi,” said a government official who didn’t wish to be named.
The development came two days after the government in Afghanistan collapsed, with President Ashraf Ghani fleeing and the Taliban entering the capital unopposed. Even before the Taliban takeover, the Indian mission in Kabul had been swamped by requests for visas.
The people cited above said a policy decision was made nearly six months ago to help Afghans facing threats after the country was hit by a wave of targeted assassinations of officials and journalists. A decision was made recently to introduce the e-visa as it would be easier and more secure for Afghans to apply online.
An elaborate system, involving the home ministry, is in place for vetting all applications, which must be accompanied by certain documents. In the initial stages, priority will be given to applications from Afghans who worked for India, for example, at Indian missions, or stood by the country, and those who face threats or fear persecution. This will include opinion-makers, NGO workers, women activists, civil society representatives and officials.
Visas will also be issued to others such as students, those seeking medical treatment and common citizens, the people said.
Thousands of Afghans have been flocking to Kabul airport, some so desperate to escape the Taliban that they held onto a military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths. At least seven people were killed around the airport on Monday. More have been reaching out to countries for visas to leave Afghanistan at a time when most Western countries have closed their missions.
