During the summer of 2021, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) engaged four law firms – Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP – to draft brief reports concerning the conditions in certain countries to which Afghan nationals might flee in the event that the Taliban resumed control over Afghanistan. These reports (Visa and Refugee Information Reports) provided information on the refugee protection program, if any, in the countries of flight; the ability of refugees in those countries to work, pursue an education, and live freely; and the penalties, if any, imposed upon individuals living in the countries of flight without lawful immigration status. After the Taliban resumed control over Afghanistan, IRAP engaged the same four law firms to draft Country of Origin Information reports (COI Reports) concerning the risk of persecution faced by certain demographics in Afghanistan. The COI Reports cover, among others populations, unaccompanied children, individuals perceived as “Westernized,” and individuals associated with the former Afghan government.
In light of the current situation in Afghanistan, IRAP is making the COI Reports and the Visa and Refugee Information Reports publicly available. The COI Reports are listed thematically, and the Visa and Refugee Information Reports are listed in alphabetical order below.
Afghanistan COI Repository | Asylos
*NVN=No visa required/visa on arrival available
The information contained in the Visa and Refugee Information Reports is current as of July 2021, and the information contained in the COIA Reports is current as of September 2021. It is provided as a service to users and it is therefore general and should not be considered or relied on as comprehensive or as legal advice. Nothing contained herein creates an attorney-client relationship between IRAP or any of the law firms that participated in this project and any users of this information.