Nooralhaq Nasimi

Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE (born 1967) is a former refugee who fled Afghanistan with his family, and who now campaigns for refugee rights in Europe and his former home country.^[1][2] In 2001, 14 months after arriving in the UK, ^[3] he founded the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association, a charity dedicated to helping refugees in London to integrate.^[4] He currently serves as the organisation's director and in 2011 he founded the European Campaign for Human Rights in Afghanistan, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of Afghans worldwide.^[5]

Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE
Personal details
Born	1967 Afghanistan
Nationality	British, Afghan
Spouse	Mahboba Nasimi
Children	Shabnam Nasimi, Rabia Nasimi, Darius Nasimi and Sheekeba Nasimi

Early life and education

Nasimi was born in Parwan Province before growing up Pul-e Khomri, Afghanistan.^[2] He was awarded an MA in law and PhD in Political Science from Mechnikov National University but this education and his time in the former USSR made him and his family a target for Taliban persecution.^[6] In 1999 Nasimi fled Afghanistan with his young family. After a three month journey through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Belgium, ^[7] he and his family crossed the English channel, spending 12 hours in the back of a refrigerated container before claiming asylum in the United Kingdom.^[8]

Career

Inspired by the difficulties he faced integrating into British society and learning the English language, Nasimi established the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association in Lewisham in 2001.^[9] The charity is dedicated to helping refugees integrate^[10] and has since expanded to operate across London, offering services including language support, legal aid, a women's educational project^[11] and supplementary education programmes for child refugees.^[12] In 2018 Nasimi accepted the Queens Award for Voluntary Service on behalf of the ACAA for their work supporting refugees in London^[13][14] and was awarded the British Citizen Award for Volunteering and Charitable Giving in 2020.^[15]

Nasimi has been an active campaigner promoting the rights of Afghans in Afghanistan and campaigning for refugee rights around the world.^[16] In 2013 Nasimi travelled to Afghanistan and launched the country's first two Citizens Advice Bureaus, which have since helped over 7,500 people with issues ranging from domestic violence to poverty and employment.^[9][17] He has also supported refugees in migrant camps in Europe, lobbied politicians in the UK and at the EU^[18] and in 2011 launched the European Campaign for Human Rights in Afghanistan (ECHRA).^[19] The ECHRA has since held conferences in London,^[20] Germany and Greece bringing together experts in the fields of migration and human rights to collaborate on solutions to the migrant crisis and ways to protect human rights in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan^[21][5]

Nasimi was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to refugees.^[22]

References

1. Swinnerton, Lois (2017-11-23). "Hounslow refugee charity founder fled Taliban in fridge lorry". getwestlondon. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
2. "From refugee to activist: An interview with Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi". The Conflict Archives. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
3. ACAA Annual Report. The Charity Commission (Report). 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
4. Iaccino, Ludovica (2017-06-19). "Meet the man who fled the Taliban and is now helping Afghan refugee women in London". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
5. "European Campaign for Human Rights in Afghanistan - Idealist". www.idealist.org. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
6. "473 million women won't be able to read this article". Newsweek. 8 March 2018.
7. "British Afghans reveal their fears for relatives back home as they help newly arrived refugees -". www.inews.co.uk. 4 September 2021. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
8. Care, Adam (2017-10-24). "Story of girl smuggled into Dover in refrigerated lorry now at Cambridge Uni". mirror. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
9. . www.refugeecouncil.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
10. "Refugee Week: Three journeys towards a better life | Eastlondonlines". Eastlondonlines. 2018-06-22. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
11. Magazine, Brown Girl (2017-12-06). "This is How Rabia Nasimi Escaped the Taliban Regime to Pursue her Studies at Cambridge University". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
12. "Community Directory: Afghanistan and Central Asian Association| Brent Council". www.brent.gov.uk. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
13. "Lewisham refugee charity receives Queen's Award for Voluntary Service | Eastlondonlines". Eastlondonlines. 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
14. "The London Gazette, Queen's Award 2018". The Gazette. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
15. Woode, David (17 January 2020). "British Citizen Awards: recognising the local heroes impacting the lives of those around them". inews.co.uk. i. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
16. "The Role of Women in Extremism – Fempower Workshop at ACAA – Quilliam". www.quilliaminternational.com. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
17. "Afghanistan's first Citizen's Advice Centres: A path to foreign aid success?". South Asia @ LSE. 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
18. "Lewisham Council to take in over 100 refugee families | Eastlondonlines". Eastlondonlines. 2018-06-22. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
19. "Child asylum seekers care costs". BBC News. 2010-07-07. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
20. "Conference on Afghanistan future on 25th". www.pajhwok.com. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
21. TheECHRA (2012-06-05), European Campaign for Human Rights in Afghanistan - Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi, retrieved 2018-10-15
22. "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N22.