When the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021, life became dangerous for many people, particularly women working to uphold gender rights and members of the previous government's military. Lawyers in many White & Case offices have been involved in the evacuation and resettlement efforts for representatives of both groups, along with some family members.

Supporting people fleeing to safety

Lawyers in our Riyadh, London, Milan, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Chicago and Washington, DC, offices are supporting women and their families who have—or hope to—escape Afghanistan. In one case the Taliban targeted our client for her work in a women's shelter. With our assistance she fled to Pakistan and is now resettling in Germany. We are also helping her sisters leave Afghanistan after one of them received violent threats. Because the matters have similar elements, our teams conduct regular calls to share information about the situation on the ground and identify the best legal options for escaping Afghanistan.

"For our client, having someone on her side, fighting for her, meant everything. Even when we thought things were moving slowly, she was so appreciative of our support. This makes this difficult work, in which much is out of our control, so rewarding," says Elaf Al-Wohaibi, associate in our Riyadh office. "Human rights drew me to the legal profession in the first place. White & Case's reputation for pro bono work and the ability to work on matters like this are among the reasons I chose to join the Firm."

Supporting asylum seekers in the United States

Lawyers in our Houston and New York offices assisted two trainee pilots in the Afghan Air Force with resettlement in the US. The pilots were training with the US in the United Arab Emirates when the US military withdrew from Afghanistan, and they were evacuated to the US to avoid retaliation by the Taliban. Each chose to make independent departures from the US military bases where they were housed, rather than wait for US resettlement services. This action made them vulnerable to losing critical benefits and required navigating through a legally complex process. We assisted the pilots with their departures, specifically ensuring they received resettlement benefits and local support and—most recently—helped them apply for asylum.

German Collaborative Project for Afghans

We are also participating in a collaborative project with other law firms and legal service providers to assist Afghan refugees to reunite with their family in Germany. Through the German Collaborative Project for Afghans, which involves eight law firms and the International Rescue Committee, lawyers in our Berlin and Hamburg offices have taken on their first case, helping an Afghan resident of Germany reunite with his family who are still in Afghanistan.

Photo by American Photo Archive © Alamy Stock Photo
Assisted by a US Air Force aircrew, Afghan refugees board an evacuation flight in August 2021.