WHAT’S NEXT FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES IN THE UK? REFUGEE AND ASYLUM POLICY

GUEST LECTURE

A conversation with Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE HonDSS(RHUL), Founder and CEO of Afghanistan and Central Asian Association

On behalf of the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA), an award-winning Afghan Charity established in the UK in 1999, we would like to warmly invite you to our conference & roundtable at Riverside Lecture Theatre, St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, Manor Road, Oxford, OX1 3UJ.

What’s Next for Afghan Refugees in the UK? Human Rights, Civil Society, and Pathways to a Hopeful Future

📅 DATE: Wednesday 26 November 2025

🕖 TIME: 4pm - 6pm

📍LOCATION: Riverside Lecture Theatre, St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, Manor Rd, Oxford, OX1 3UJ

For any Queries, please contact Darius Nasimi on WhatsApp on 00447769406432, 00447915651564.

Organised by the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA), this event will convene Afghan diaspora voices alongside UK policymakers, civil society leaders, journalists, academics, and international organisations to confront the worsening crisis.

Hosted by St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford.

FREE TRADITIONAL AFGHAN FOOD AND MUSIC IS INCLUDED.

MODERATOR:

Darius Nasimi, Founder and President, Afghanistan Government in Exile

GUEST SPEAKER:

Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE HonDSS (RHUL), Founder and CEO of Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA)

SPEAKER BIO:

Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE HonDSS(RHUL) is a former refugee who fled Afghanistan with his family, and who now campaigns for refugee rights in Europe and his former home country. In 1999, immediately after arriving in the UK, he founded the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA), a charity dedicated to helping refugees in London to integrate. In 2011 he founded the European Campaign for Human Rights in Afghanistan, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of Afghans worldwide.

Dr Nasimi was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours any honoured by His Majesty King Charles III for his lifetime of service to refugees. In July 2024, he was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Doctor of Laws by the Royal Holloway University of London.

EVENT OBJECTIVES

Four years after the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan remains in the grip of a severe human rights crisis. Since taking power, the Taliban have stripped women and girls of access to education, work, and public life. Ethnic minorities from the north of the country continue to face targeted repression, whilst hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been deported from Iran and Pakistan, being forced back to the very regime they fled. In the UK, Afghan refugees face their own challenges. In July, a Home Office data breach exposed the personal details of almost 19,000 people fleeing the Taliban, a revelation that came as key resettlement pathways for Afghan asylum seekers were being shut down.

Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi will speak about the state of refugee rights in the UK and globally, reflect on Afghanistan’s uncertain future, and offer insights into pursuing a career in the charity sector. The event will feature an open-floor exchange, Q&A session and reflections.

EVENT SCHEDULE:

16:00 – 16:10 | Welcome Remarks by Moderator

16:10 – 16:30 | Keynote Address: Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE HonDSS(RHUL)

16:30 – 17:15 | Roundtable Discussion + Q&A

17:15 – 18:00 | Traditional Afghan Food, Music and Networking

Who should attend?

This event is free and open to all. Those particularly interested may be:

• Members of the Oxford community concerned with issues of global justice and forced migration
• Students and researchers focusing on refugee rights in the UK
• Those exploring careers in the NGO or charity sector
• Anyone considering a legal career in human rights advocacy or a political path in foreign policy