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Fire at Herat Customs incurs huge financial losses
Officials at Herat Customs say that it is not yet clear how much was lost but said financial losses were huge. They also said the cause of the fire had not yet been determined.
A fire that swept through a Herat Customs facility on Wednesday incurred financial losses of millions of dollars for traders, who also battled for hours to extinguish the blaze.
Herat Customs officials said the fire started at about midday in the clearing area but quickly spread.
As trucks and goods went up in flames, customs officials appealed to the public to help douse the flames alongside the fire department.
Firefighters took five hours to bring the blaze under control.
Ismatullah Yaser, the deputy head of Herat Customs, said: "Unfortunately, a fire broke out at noon on Wednesday … the cause has not yet been determined.”
Najibullah, a trader, said: "Our goods were worth about $200,000 that caught fire.
“There is a possibility that all our property will be burned."
Zalmi Bahadri, another affected businessman, said: "The fire has been controlled and all our craftsmen who had facilities, including myself, who had a few tanks, are currently engaged in firefighting."
Officials at Herat Customs say that it is not yet clear how much was lost but said financial losses were huge. They also said the cause of the fire had not yet been determined.
Traders however spoke out and criticized the customs department for not having sufficient facilities for them while waiting for customs clearance and for not having mechanisms in place to prevent a fire of this nature.
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IEA says Afghan embassy reopens in Oman
A spokesman for Afghanistan’s foreign affairs said Tuesday Islamic Emirate diplomats have been posted to Oman to reopen the Afghanistan embassy.
Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal said in a post on X the embassy in Muscat opened last Sunday.
Takal added that resuming the activities of the Afghan embassy with the cooperation of the host country will play a constructive role in strengthening political, economic, social and religious relations between Kabul and Muscat.
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EUAA reports 45,000 Afghans applied for asylum in first six months of 2024
The EUAA said in its report that while the total number of asylum applications remained steady compared to the first half of last year, some variations were observed
The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) said Monday that 45,000 Afghans sought asylum in European countries during the first half of 2024.
In its latest report on asylum trends for the first six months of 2024, the EUAA stated that by the end of July, a total of 513,000 people from around the world had applied for asylum in European countries.
The EUAA said in its report that while the total number of asylum applications remained steady compared to the first half of last year, some variations were observed.
During this period, 71,000 Syrians made asylum requests, making them the most significant applicants in Europe.
The report also highlighted that Afghan asylum seekers predominantly applied in countries like Germany, Greece, France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy.
The number of Afghan asylum applications to European countries decreased by 18% compared to the same period in 2023.
Additionally, the report emphasized that European Union member states accepted approximately 65% of Afghan asylum applications.
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Iran repatriates illegal foreigners with respect, Pezeshkian says
In the first press conference after his inauguration as president, Pezeshkian said that so far three Security Council meetings have been held on the issue of Afghan immigrants.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that foreigners living in the country illegally will be returned "with respect".
In the first press conference after his inauguration as president, Pezeshkian said that so far three Security Council meetings have been held on the issue of Afghan immigrants.
"Some of them have passports, they have connections. Naturally, they should be treated in a particular way. Some of them have come against the law, and they have to follow legal framework. One cannot enter illegally. There is a framework for presence in any country, even in Islamic countries. For example, if we go to Afghanistan without a passport, they might not let us in,” he said.
"As I have already said, we are brothers but following a series of frameworks between governments is a rule that we must follow, and we are in the process of setting this legal framework between Islamic countries,” he added.
The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR estimates that nearly 4.5 million Afghan nationals currently live in Iran. According to Iranian news agencies, however, the real number could be as high as 6 million or 8 million.
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