India introduces emergency e-visas for Afghan nationals amid crisis

The development came two days after the government in Afghanistan collapsed, with President Ashraf Ghani fleeing.

Updated on: Aug 18, 2021, 24:30:40 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar, Neeraj Chauhan, Hindustan Times, New Delhi

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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 matter. 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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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