Amnesty International Urges France To Facilitate Visa Issuance For Afghan Women

Launching a petition, Amnesty International has asked the French government to facilitate visa issuance for Afghan women and girls.

So far, more than 4,500 people have signed the petition and asked France to provide the opportunity for Afghan women and girls to enter the country.

Amnesty International had launched this online petition to collect signatures in support of the request on September 12. It even held an event in Paris last week in support of the campaign.

In the petition, it has been stated that the Taliban is persecuting girls and women in a systematic, widespread and organised manner. According to Amnesty International's legal analysis, the behaviour of the group can be described as a "crime against humanity".

This international human rights organisation said that women who flee from the persecution of the Taliban to neighbouring countries, such as Iran and Pakistan, face other harassment in those countries as well.

As an example, Amnesty International has mentioned the arbitrary arrest of Afghan women by the local authorities of Iran and Pakistan and the risk of their forced return to Afghanistan.

The organisation wrote that French visas are sparsely issued in these countries, and the wait times for securing an appointment at consulates are long.