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Afghanistan sees spike in int’l flights overhead amid growing tension in Mid-East
The spike came after Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel last week, which led to flights diverting and flying over Afghanistan
Afghanistan has seen a record high number of international flights passing through its airspace in the past week, amid escalating tension in West Asia.
The spike came after Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel last week, which led to flights diverting and flying over Afghanistan.
According to The Independent, a record 191 flights passed over Afghanistan, each one paying the Islamic Emirate $700 for the privilege.
The Independent reported that these flights included British Airways, Lufthansa, and Swiss Air planes.
FlightRadar24 recorded an average of 147 flights per day through Afghan airspace between 19 and 30 September, not including journeys that started or finished in Afghanistan itself.
The number went up to 171 on Tuesday when Iran launched 180 missiles against Israel. And on Thursday and Friday, this number went up to 191, The Independent reported.
Speaking to the publication, FlightRadar24’s spokesperson Ian Petchenik said, "We’re seeing aircraft that would normally transit through Iran make use of Afghanistan airspace now."
"As we start to see more and more airspace restrictions (in West Asia), airlines are making a trade-off or a calculated decision on risk – is this a safe method of operation? And is it safer than the alternative that still allows us to operate these flights?” Petchenik added.
The Afghan airspace has been largely avoided by international flights since the Islamic Emirate regained power in August 2021.
But the number of flights has steadily gone up since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7 last year and the escalating conflict in parts of Middle East and West Asia.
Speaking to Reuters, a spokesperson from FlightRadar24 said that international flights diverted “anywhere they could,” and a snapshot of traffic in the region showed flights spreading in wide arcs to the north and south, with many converging on Cairo and Istanbul.
On Tuesday, about 80 flights, operated by the likes of Emirates, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways and bound for major Middle East hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, were diverted to places such as Cairo and European cities, its data showed.
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New Delhi considering Islamic Emirate’s request for envoy in India
The representative has already been selected and is currently working out of the Mumbai consulate. He does not however have a diplomatic passport.
The Indian government is considering accepting the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) request to officially post a diplomatic representative to the consulate in Mumbai.
Indian media reported Monday that the representative has already been selected and is currently working out of the Mumbai consulate. He does not however have a diplomatic passport, reports read.
According to the reports, the IEA’s representative is Ikramuddin Kamil, who previously studied in India.
If the request is accepted, the move would be a significant step towards formalizing diplomatic ties between the two countries.
No country has yet officially recognized the Islamic Emirate government but some regional countries have accepted Kabul diplomats.
A small “technical” team of Indian officials have meanwhile been working in Kabul for a few months.
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Malala Yousafzai calls for global support for women in Afghanistan
Malala Yousafzai, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and an activist for the right to education for girls and women, says the international community should stand up for the rights of Afghan women.
Malala Yousafzai said in an interview with Sky News on Saturday that she has started efforts to support women's rights in Afghanistan in accordance with international laws.
Malala says that leaders need to work for the rights of Afghan girls and women.
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, has repeatedly rejected claims about women’s rights being violated and has said their rights are ensured in accordance with Sharia law.
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More than 300 Afghans deported from Turkey in past two days
Abdur Rahman Rashid, deputy minister of refugees and repatriation, welcomed the returnees at Kabul airport, and said the ministry will contact the Turkish government to resolve issues around Afghan migrants.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said Sunday that 325 Afghan migrants have been deported from Turkey in the last two days.
The ministry said in a statement that the migrants had been living in Istanbul and some of them were documented.
Abdur Rahman Rashid, deputy minister of refugees and repatriation, welcomed the returnees at Kabul airport, and said the ministry will contact the Turkish government to resolve issues around Afghan migrants.
According to the ministry, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has given cash assistance to each returnee of 150 euros ($160).
Last week, a committee of the High Commission for Addressing the Problems of Migrants said the process of forced expulsion of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries has intensified.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, the administrative deputy prime minister, said that as winter approaches, committees should seek to ensure that the returnees will not face problems.
Experts say that the refugee hosting countries should treat Afghan migrants according to international laws, and take into account the current conditions of the country.
“To reduce immigration and increase economic stability, creating employment opportunities, increasing investment, giving various types of loans to people and issuing securities can be effective,” said Asifa Stanikzai, a migration expert.
Iranian officials have said that they deport 3,000 Afghan migrants from the country every day and they plan to deport two million Afghan immigrants by the end of this year.
Forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan has been a serious challenge in the last three years, but according to experts, the Islamic Emirate has been able to manage the process to some extent.
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