Following the fall of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s resurgence to power in Kabul, tens of thousands of Afghans have evacuated the country and are seeking resettlement in other countries, and thousands more remain desperate to flee. Residents of the war-torn country face imminent risk from the Taliban, and various diplomatic efforts have been underway to help those most at risk seek permanent refuge, including civil society leaders, members of ethnic and religious minorities, and those who provided support to the U.S. military presence.

The unfolding humanitarian crisis has inspired Debevoise & Plimpton LLP to help by leveraging our cross-border legal experience and deep relationships with advocacy groups and governments in the region to assist in evacuation and resettlement efforts. Over the last month, a team of partners, counsel and associates from multiple Debevoise offices, working together with non-profit organizations, diplomatic representatives, and government entities, have engaged in broad and diverse ways to help Afghans escape persecution and violence under the Taliban regime. This work includes helping women judges and journalists with the immigration application process and providing support to refugees in their effort to cross safely from Afghanistan into neighboring countries.

There is still a long road ahead but we hope that the work of our firm, combined with the efforts of so many others, can make a significant difference.

The Debevoise team is led by partners Catherine Amirfar, Lord Goldsmith KC, Natalie Reid and David W. Rivkin, counsel Floriane Lavaud, pro bono counsel Jennifer Cowan, associates Berglind Birkland, Aasiya Glover, Monika Hlavkova, Lisa Wang Lachowicz, Ramsay McCulloch, Fiona Poon and Kate Seifert and pro bono manager and solicitor Marika Somero.