Afghan nationals in India, including students, complained about the existing challenges as the embassy has remained closed following the announcement of a “permanent” closure of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, effective on November 23.

The Afghans based in India called on the Indian government and interim Afghan government to not politicize the issue of refugees.

They said that lack of access to facilities such as the issuance of visas, renewal of passports and educational documents, are their main challenges.

“We request the Indian government and officials in Afghanistan to find a solution for this problem based on the interests of the people of Afghanistan regardless of their [Afghan-Indian government’s] political relations and issues. So that the Afghan nationals will not be deprived of the support of the embassies and consulates,” said Sibghatullah, a student.

“The refugees and us students have faced vast problems such as lack of renewal of our visas, lack of processing of our educational documents and lack of renewal of our passports,” said Ishaq Sarwari, a student.

However, the Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the issue, but some former diplomats believe that India applied pressure in order to help the embassy come under the Islamic Emirate’s control.

According to them, India is doing so to improve its relations with the current rulers in Afghanistan.

“It created some pressure on the embassy to retake the embassy from the previous government until the ground is paved to invite and accept the Islamic Emirate’s diplomat, so that the relations between India and Taliban are ensured,” said Aziz Maarij, a former diplomat.

“The Islamic Emirate and the Indian government should pay diplomatic efforts to reopen the Afghanistan embassy in India,” said Ahmad Khan Andar, international relations analyst.

Earlier, the Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi announced in a statement the permanent closing of its diplomatic mission in New Delhi, effective from Nov 23, owing to "persistent challenges from the Indian government."

According to the statement, the diplomats of the “Afghan Republic have handed over the mission solely to the Indian government.”