Afghan embassy in Canberra to close after being cut off by Taliban

The Afghan embassy in Canberra is set to close and the exiled ambassador could lose his diplomatic status, more than a year after it was cut off by the Taliban government.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed in Senate Estimates on Thursday that it was not “practically possible” for the embassy, located in the suburb of Deakin, to continue to operate.

Ms Wong also confirmed that negotiations were underway between the Australian government and Afghan ambassador Wahidullah Waissi, a vocal critic of the Taliban, about his diplomatic status.

“We are seeking to engage as we have in good faith with Ambassador Waissi on what is a very difficult situation. The reality is we have for four years worked hard with him in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and the Afghan community here in Australia,” Ms Wong said.

The embassy has been operating in exile since 2021 with a small number of staff, but in July last year the Taliban said it would no longer recognise or accept passports or other paperwork issued by the mission, putting anyone using those documents at risk.

There are more than 80,000 Afghans living in Australia, up from 59,000 at the time of the 2021 Census. In 2023 the Labor government allocated 26,500 humanitarian visas for Afghan-born refugees through to 2026, backdated to July 2021.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade chief of protocol, Jonathan Muir, said it was becoming increasingly risky for the embassy to provide services, and that it could no longer support itself financially.

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