Over the last weeks several Afghan men who applied for asylum in Lesvos are being rejected. This is the case for men who arrived alone, and also for those who are here with their families, and whose family members (wives, children, parents) are granted refugee status. At least 6 men who have been rejected have contacted the LCL in the past 4 weeks for legal support.
Of course, the situation in Afghanistan is particularly hostile to women and marginalised groups. Afghan women are being denied of all fundamental rights. This article is intended solely to provide information about the rejection of Afghan men over the last weeks.
From the decisions reviewed by the LCL, the reasoning for the rejection are vague, including findings that:
- The evidence is not detailed enough to prove or justify granting asylum
- “Verbal threats alone are insufficient” to grant protection.
- The applicant was assessed as being healthy, single, and physically able, and without any vulnerabilities.
- A supposed decrease in overall levels of violence following the Taliban’s assumption of control, particularly in certain provinces.
In 2025, people from Afghanistan had the highest rate of acceptance for asylum across Greece, with 97% receiving asylum (the vast majority receiving refugee status and only 2 people receiving subsidiary protection). In the first three months of 2026, this percentage has decreased to 69%. As this number from 2026 also includes those whose cases were closed after they did not appear for an appointment or for their asylum interview, it is not possible with data available at this time to assess exactly how many people have been rejected, the trend is worrying.
Political Context in Afghanistan
The political context in Afghanistan has not improved in the last three months, so the increased rejection of Afghan asylum seekers indicates that it is instead the Greece’s Asylum Office that has shifted its own internal policies, denying international protection to people who up until a few months ago were considered eligible for asylum.
Since the 15 of August 2021 regime change in Afghanistan, the Taliban has controlled the country. For Afghan men, to be ruled by the Taliban it means:
Beard Mandates: Barbers are prohibited from shaving or trimming beards, with reports of detention for those who offer “western-style” haircuts.
Dress Code: Men are required to wear traditional perahan tunban (loose tunic and trousers), often accompanied by a hat or turban
Public Morality Policing: Morality patrols (Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) monitor public spaces, sometimes arresting men for not attending prayers or for violating grooming standards.
The Taliban arbitrarily arrested and detained people who criticized its draconian rules, including journalists and human rights activists. Taliban “morality inspectors” also arbitrarily arrested and detained people for non-compliance with the “vice and virtue decree”, including for hair length and style, failing to attend congregational prayer, playing music, or taking photos.
Impact on Education and Mental Health: While boys’ schools remain open, quality has plummeted, as the ban on female teachers has left many classrooms with unqualified replacements. Many boys are dropping out to work due to the economic crisis, with school attendance experiencing a significant decline. Mental health struggles, including anxiety and depression, are high among young men due to a lack of future prospects. The Taliban further restricted freedom of expression and the right to education by banning from universities books authored by women and the teaching of subjects incompatible with the Taliban interpretation of sharia (Islamic law). The Taliban also banned poetry critical of its policies, decisions and practices, as well as romantic poetry. People who criticized the Taliban publicly, including through social media, were subjected to arbitrary arrests and imprisonment.
Forced Recruitment and Military Action: There are reports of pressures on men to adhere to Taliban ideological standards, and in some areas, residents face pressure to join or support local Taliban forces.
Detention and Physical Punishment: UNAMA documented hundreds of cases of corporal punishment, including public lashings of men for “moral crimes,” such as adultery or alcohol consumption. Civilians were killed and wounded in suicide attacks and explosions attributed to groups opposing the Taliban, unknown actors and remnants of unexploded ordnances from previous conflicts, according to UN and Afghan human rights organizations. Cross-border attacks between the Taliban and Pakistan, and air strikes by the Pakistani army, caused many more civilian casualties.
Marginalized Communities (Hazaras): Hazara men, women, and children face additional discrimination, including targeted arrests, harassment at checkpoints, and in some cases, forced conversion efforts in areas like Badakhshan. The asylum office is using reports with absurd information such as the violence rate going down when the Taliban got in power or that the economy of Afghanistan is improving, but the reports are being written by EUAA. So basically they are writing reports to support their own claims.
Conclusion
The Greek asylum authorities’ practice of arbitrarily rejecting asylum applications from Afghan men is neither well-founded, justifiable nor acceptable. Given that conditions in the country have not changed since the Taliban took power and the statements made by the applicants do not differ from those of asylum applications approved in the past, the decisions are clearly arbitrary and rather part of a more restrictive, exclusionary and racist migration policy, which follows the general trend and debate in EU politics. Afghanistan remains an unsafe country, as violence, political persecution and massive restrictions on fundamental rights persist.