Afghans in India call for refugee status after Taliban blitz

Hundreds of Afghans living in India are taking to the streets to ramp up demands for refugee status

NEW DELHI -- Hundreds of Afghans living in India took to the streets Monday to ramp up demands for refugee status, amid growing fears in the community following the Taliban's recent takeover of Afghanistan. They rallied outside the U.N. refugee agency's office in the capital New Delhi, chanting slogans and demanding justice and security, especially for Afghan children and women. “We were victims of war, and now we are the victims of an unclear future,” read one poster. Most of the Afghans protesting outside the U.N. office said they fled to India more than 10 years ago but are still waiting to be recognized as refugees. Many get trapped within a complex bureaucratic process to register as refugees in India, and struggle to live a dignified life, they said.