26 August, 2021 – The GPM supports the Global Mayors Joint Statement: Welcome Afghan Refugees Now to call on national governments to immediately open their doors to Afghan refugees and provide the resources needed to facilitate resettlement, while encouraging donors and other mayors to take steps needed to provide humanitarian support to refugees and asylum seekers.
As the US and other foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan, thousands of Afghans are attempting to flee the country to protect their rights and freedoms, prompting mayors worldwide to prepare to welcome Afghans seeking refuge in their cities. In the past month alone, 300,000 Afghans have fled their homes in search of safety, joining six million Afghans who have been displaced by decades of conflict.
The GPM along with more than 50 mayors and local government executives and international organisations representing over 240,000 cities around the world has endorsed a statement of solidarity launched by the Mayors Migration Council (MMC) on Thursday 26 August.