Political Contexts of Afghan Emigration

The article delves into the gradual process of Afghan diasporas’ formation and compares their status in Euro-Atlantic and Eastern political contexts, using a comparative analysis based on the concept of social orders. While some Afghan diaspora groups have successfully integrated into local societies and organized to promote their interests, others have failed to influence local authorities and have become marginalized. The paper also examines the current state of Afghan diaspora communities, identifying reasons for their fragmented nature. According to the authors, this reflects the ongoing process of shaping an all-Afghan identity. The study also focuses on the conditions that enable some countries’ state institutions to use emigrant diasporas as proxy tools in their foreign policy and on the readiness of diaspora elites to fulfil such functions. This highlights the relevance of the issue when it comes to understanding a range of current political events. The potential of Afghan diasporas in different countries is also assessed in terms of their abilities to influence the ongoing processes in Afghanistan. The analysis of diasporas’ involvement in the recipient countries’ foreign policy interests reveals the diversity of situations and the lack of a direct correlation between such practices and the type of the countries’ social orders. The paper provides the authors’ periodization of the Afghan emigration from the aftermath of the overthrow of the monarchy in 1973 to the time of the research.