The Allies might be asserting that things are improving in Afghanistan, but the locals are highlighting otherwise....but leaving the country in droves.
FP reports:
"More Afghans are seeking asylum now than at any time since war in Afghanistan began, figures from the United Nations show. Last year more than 30,000 Afghans sought asylum worldwide, topping 2010's numbers by 25 percent - and those are just the recorded cases. More than 45,000 Afghans are said to have illegally escaped into Greece alone. Australia is another popular destination for asylum, though it is harder to pull off due to distance.
The current protests in reaction to news of the burnings of Korans at Bagram only underline to many Afghans just how quickly security can unravel and just how much uncertainty Afghans face in the future.
There is a race for the exits in Afghanistan, all right, and it is not just the internationals running for the door.
Uncertainty about the future dominates conversations among families, on the streets and in the news. As discussion of withdrawal deadlines and peace talks dominates local headlines precious few facts have surfaced about what these developments actually mean -- and for whom. Into this vacuum fear and rumor have moved in.
"Businessmen, traders have heard that in 2014 foreigners are going to leave Afghanistan, so most of the people are trying to leave Afghanistan," says Muhammad, an Afghan who left his country only for a short stint during the Taliban years. "People don't have trust in this government; they think maybe after 2014 the Afghan government will not be able to control the security of Afghanistan."
A number of Afghans who can are sending themselves, their capital or their children -- and sometimes all three -- out of the country by whatever means possible. As the Guardian reported the business of smuggling people out of the country is booming, while rents in Kabul, long sky-high and inflated to outrageous heights by the presence of international community, are now plunging in many areas.
In just the last six weeks, four people I have covered for years have all headed abroad. Some have gone to Canada, some to Europe, and some are seeking a way out through India."
FP reports:
"More Afghans are seeking asylum now than at any time since war in Afghanistan began, figures from the United Nations show. Last year more than 30,000 Afghans sought asylum worldwide, topping 2010's numbers by 25 percent - and those are just the recorded cases. More than 45,000 Afghans are said to have illegally escaped into Greece alone. Australia is another popular destination for asylum, though it is harder to pull off due to distance.
The current protests in reaction to news of the burnings of Korans at Bagram only underline to many Afghans just how quickly security can unravel and just how much uncertainty Afghans face in the future.
There is a race for the exits in Afghanistan, all right, and it is not just the internationals running for the door.
Uncertainty about the future dominates conversations among families, on the streets and in the news. As discussion of withdrawal deadlines and peace talks dominates local headlines precious few facts have surfaced about what these developments actually mean -- and for whom. Into this vacuum fear and rumor have moved in.
"Businessmen, traders have heard that in 2014 foreigners are going to leave Afghanistan, so most of the people are trying to leave Afghanistan," says Muhammad, an Afghan who left his country only for a short stint during the Taliban years. "People don't have trust in this government; they think maybe after 2014 the Afghan government will not be able to control the security of Afghanistan."
A number of Afghans who can are sending themselves, their capital or their children -- and sometimes all three -- out of the country by whatever means possible. As the Guardian reported the business of smuggling people out of the country is booming, while rents in Kabul, long sky-high and inflated to outrageous heights by the presence of international community, are now plunging in many areas.
In just the last six weeks, four people I have covered for years have all headed abroad. Some have gone to Canada, some to Europe, and some are seeking a way out through India."
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