Concerns Mount for Thousands of Afghans in Australia as Uncertainty Looms Over Possible Closure

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Members of the Afghan Australian community are concerned about the future of Afghanistan’s embassy, after reports the federal government has advised the current ambassador his diplomatic credentials won’t be renewed in February.

Ambassador Wahidullah Waissi, appointed in 2017, has stayed on at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country in 2021.

It’s considered an embassy-in-exile but has continued to issue official documents such as passports, visas, and verifying IDs to thousands of Afghan citizens living in Australia.

But its services haven’t been operating as normal since the Taliban announced in July 2024 that it would no longer recognise consular documents issued by 14 embassies related to the former republic, including the Canberra facility.

The ongoing uncertainty has left many in the Afghan diaspora feeling exposed, with significant concerns about the future of their embassy still lingering without resolution.

The Afghan embassy in Canberra, a pale building with a closed gate.

The Afghan Embassy, located in Deakin, Canberra, stands quietly with its gates shut, its fate hanging in the balance.

“Even if there’s an attempt to issue documents, their validity comes into question if they’re not recognized,” remarked Ali Sarwari, the CEO of Bamyan.

Travel agency Bamyan Air Travels, which has worked with the Afghan embassy for 19 years, said it hasn’t been able to obtain a single document through the embassy since the Taliban’s announcement.

“This situation feels like a second collapse for Afghanistan. We’ve already lost our homeland, and now even our adopted home is at risk,” she added.

“They have no relationship or communication with the inside.”

Jonathan Muir, chief of protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and a former ambassador to Qatar, told SBS News it’s clear the embassy cannot continue to operate as it has been.

“The ambassador was sent and accredited to represent a sending state. In practice, that accreditation requires a subordinate of the sending state,” he said.

“That state no longer exists and practical risks are accruing around the provision of the services of the embassy.”

“This will be the second fall of Afghanistan. We have already lost our country and this is our second home,” she said.

A woman wearing a brown hijab looks forward with a serious expression on her face.

Independent senator Fatima Payman has expressed concerns on behalf of Afghans in Australia. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

“Under no circumstances, any Afghan across the country will support this idea of letting this happen.”

Unanswered questions

Outside the embassy in Canberra’s suburb of Deakin, Waissi had little to say about the future of the building he stood in front of.

He shook his head when asked what the Afghan community could expect in the coming months.

When asked what services the embassy is currently providing, Waissi said: “I’m not answering that question.”

The secrecy is only adding to the confusion for the Afghan community in Australia.

Currently, the only way to access document services is through a Taliban delegate.

However, Professor William Maley from the Australian National University said forming such a relationship would be a potential security risk for Afghans who have fled the regime.

“Somebody acting in a consular fashion on behalf of the Taliban might then demand access to the personal records of people who have interacted with the embassy in the past,” he said.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Michaelia Cash said a diplomatic relationship with the Taliban should not be on the table.

“The Taliban are a violent and oppressive regime that basically breach human rights on a daily basis,” she said.

“Australia must absolutely maintain constant vigilance in relation to never recognising the Taliban regime.”

Without clear answers from either the embassy or the federal government, Payman said the community is anxious about the future.

“There has been a void created by the government’s secrecy and the department’s lack of responses, and as you can imagine, the community is rightfully anxious.”

This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Pashto.