Nooralhaq Nasimi

Nooralhaq Nasimi
MBE, Hon. D.S.S
Personal details
Born1967 (age 58–59)
Afghanistan
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
SpouseMahboba Nasimi
ChildrenShabnam Nasimi, Rabia Nasimi, Darius Nasimi and Sheekeba Nasimi
EducationVolgograd Polytechnic Institute
OccupationFounder and Director of the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association
Awards
Member of the Order of the British Empire (2023)
British Citizen Award (2020)
Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (2018, organisational)


Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE HonDSS(RHUL) (born 1967) is a former refugee who fled Afghanistan with his family, and who now campaigns for refugee rights in Europe and his former home country.[1][2] In 1999, immediately after arriving in the UK,[3] he founded the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA), a charity dedicated to helping refugees in London to integrate.[4] In 2011 he founded the European Campaign for Human Rights in Afghanistan, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of Afghans worldwide.[5] He currently serves as the director of the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association based in Hounslow, London.

Early life and education

Nasimi was born in Ghorband a district of Parwan Province in the Northeast of Kabul, Afghanistan.[6] He then moved to Pul-e Khomri where he spent the rest of his childhood.[7] At the age of 18, Nasimi won a scholarship to Rostov-on-Don to study mechanical engineering. Following this, he returned to Afghanistan where he worked in a logistics firm as a mechanic.

Nasimi grew up witnessing the invasion of Afghanistan by the USSR, and aged 21 he was conscripted. He served 4 years as a soldier with the Afghan Army in Wardak Province, distributing food, water, newspapers and running workshops about equality for soldiers.  After completion of his military service, in 1989 he received a scholarship to study engineering in Volgograd Polytechnic Institute and then moved to Baku, Azerbaijan to study International Law. He concluded his studies in Odesa where he met his wife Mahboba who was also studying there.[6] On completion of his studies he was awarded both an MA in Law and PhD in Political Science from Odesa University.

After returning to Afghanistan in 1998, one year after Taliban takeover, his high level of education in conjunction with the spent spent studying in the former USSR made him and his family a target for Taliban persecution.[8] In 1999 Nasimi fled Afghanistan with his young family.[9] After a three month journey through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium,[10] he and his family crossed the English channel, spending 12 hours locked in the back of a refrigerated container before arriving in Dover and claiming asylum in the United Kingdom.[11]

Personal life

His daughter, Shabnam Nasimi, is the former policy advisor to Minister for Afghan Resettlement Victoria Atkins MP and Minister for Refugees Richard Harrington. His daughter, Rabia Nasimi, currently works as Head of the ESM Research at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. His son Darius Nasimi served as the first British Afghan Conservative Candidate for Hanworth Village, London Borough of Hounslow. His youngest daughter, Sheekeba Nasimi graduated with a Bachelor's of Law from the University of Law in 2025.

Career

Upon his arrival to the UK, Nasimi studied English at Lewisham College in 2000 - he realised language was the first barrier for many refugees and migrants.[12] Inspired by the difficulties he faced integrating into British society and learning the English language, Nasimi established the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association in Lewisham in 2001.[13] The charity is dedicated to helping refugees integrate[14] and has since expanded to operate across London, offering services including language support, legal aid, a women's educational project[15] and supplementary education programmes for child refugees.[16][17] The organisation also has an established ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) for Integration Programme, which runs across their offices and virtually. The ACAA has also partnered with UK Job Centres and colleges to assist those searching for employment.[18] Collaborating with the UK government on multiple occasions, other projects have included a home-office funded programme aiming to tackle extremism by providing workshops for members of the muslim community,[19] and a project in partnership with the Ministry of Justice to reduce reoffending rates by supporting vulnerable people recently released from prison.[20] With the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan in 2021 the ACAA became a frontline help point for refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the UK, its capacity growing hugely due to the situation, and the organisation also became a central contact point for British media in relation to the Afghan crisis.[21] Shortly following the crisis, ACAA served an important role in providing evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee enquiry and advising UK policy towards Afghanistan.[21]

In 2018 Nasimi accepted the Queens Award for Voluntary Service on behalf of the ACAA for their work supporting refugees in London[22][23] and was awarded the British Citizen Award for Volunteering and Charitable Giving in 2020.[24] He was also shortlisted for Charity Executive of the Year for the Third Sector Awards in 2024.[25]

Nasimi has been an active campaigner promoting the rights of Afghans in Afghanistan and campaigning for refugee rights around the world.[26] In 2013 Nasimi travelled to Afghanistan and launched the country's first two Citizens Advice Bureaus, which have since helped over 7,500 people with issues ranging from domestic violence to poverty and employment.[13][27] He has also supported refugees in migrant camps in Europe, lobbied politicians in the UK and at the EU[28] and in 2011 launched the European Campaign for Human Rights in Afghanistan (ECHRA).[5] The ECHRA has since held conferences in London,[29] Germany and Greece bringing together experts in the fields of migration and human rights to collaborate on solutions to the migrant crisis and ways to protect human rights in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan[30][29]

Nasimi has also written as a columnist for first, the magazine for councillors published by the Local Government Association, on issues relating to refugee support.[31]

Nasimi was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to refugees.[32] In July 2024, he was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Doctor of Laws by the Royal Holloway University of London.[33]

In a 2026 profile for UK for UNHCR, Nasimi described his childhood in Pul-e Khomri, where from the age of eight he worked as a street child — selling water, loading lorries with melons, and carrying water to highland villages — to support his family.[34] On settling in the UK, his family became the first Afghan family to settle in Lewisham.[35] By 2026, in the 27 years since its founding, the ACAA had assisted refugees from 55 countries and ran projects from Feltham to Liverpool.[35]

Efforts toward a future Afghanistan

Following the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, issues of political representation and engagement with Afghan communities have been widely discussed among policymakers. Within this context, Nooralhaq Nasimi has contributed to policy debates in the United Kingdom concerning Afghanistan's future and the role of diaspora communities.

Nasimi has provided written evidence to UK parliamentary inquiries addressing Afghanistan, including submissions on the role of diaspora organisations in informing government policy and supporting Afghan populations.[36] In this evidence, he emphasised that Afghan diaspora groups possess detailed contextual knowledge of local conditions and argued that closer cooperation between policymakers and diaspora organisations could improve policy outcomes.[37]

His work has also been associated with efforts to strengthen links between Afghan communities in the United Kingdom and developments within Afghanistan. Through diaspora engagement, he has contributed to discussions on how transnational networks can support communication, policy awareness, and community-level understanding across borders.[38] Such approaches have been referenced in broader policy discussions as potential mechanisms for engaging Afghan civil society following the reduction of international presence in the country.

Nasimi has also taken part in public and academic discussions concerning governance in Afghanistan, including the importance of inclusive political systems and representation across ethnic and social groups. His contributions have highlighted the role of policy design, data, and community-level engagement in addressing long-term instability and marginalisation.[39]

In November 2025, Nasimi delivered a public talk at St Catherine's College, University of Oxford, titled "What's Next for Afghan Refugees in the UK? Refugee and Asylum Policy," discussing human rights, civil society, and pathways forward for Afghan refugees.[40]

In wider policy discussions, diaspora-based actors such as Nasimi have been contrasted with figures whose influence is primarily derived from regional or historical networks within Afghanistan. Commentary has noted differences between internationally engaged individuals operating from abroad and actors with more geographically concentrated bases of support, highlighting ongoing debates around representation and political legitimacy in Afghanistan's evolving political landscape.[41]

References

  1. ↑ Swinnerton, Lois (23 November 2017). "Hounslow refugee charity founder fled Taliban in fridge lorry". getwestlondon. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "Afghanistan's first Citizen's Advice Centres: A path to foreign aid success? | South Asia@LSE". 24 November 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  3. ↑ ACAA Annual Report. The Charity Commission (Report). 19 June 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  4. ↑ Iaccino, Ludovica (19 June 2017). "Meet the man who fled the Taliban and is now helping Afghan refugee women in London". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  5. 1 2 "European Campaign for Human Rights in Afghanistan - Idealist". www.idealist.org. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  6. 1 2 Khan, Rabina. "Escaping the Taliban". Shorthand Stories. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  7. ↑ "From refugee to activist: An interview with Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi". The Conflict Archives. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  8. ↑ "473 million women won't be able to read this article". Newsweek. 8 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Refugee family opens new charity centre 20 years after arriving in UK in refrigerated lorry". Kingston Courrier. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "British Afghans reveal their fears for relatives back home as they help newly arrived refugees -". www.inews.co.uk. 4 September 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  11. ↑ Care, Adam (24 October 2017). "Story of girl smuggled into Dover in refrigerated lorry now at Cambridge Uni". mirror. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  12. ↑ Diggins, Alex (21 February 2020). "Refugee who came to the UK in a lorry wins British Citizen Award for Feltham charity". SW Londoner. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  13. 1 2 "We will always appreciate the support of the British people". www.refugeecouncil.org.uk. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  14. ↑ "Refugee Week: Three journeys towards a better life | Eastlondonlines". Eastlondonlines. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  15. ↑ Magazine, Brown Girl (6 December 2017). "This is How Rabia Nasimi Escaped the Taliban Regime to Pursue her Studies at Cambridge University". Huffington Post. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  16. ↑ "Community Directory: Afghanistan and Central Asian Association| Brent Council". www.brent.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  17. ↑ "Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE awarded Honorary Doctorate for charity work with refugees in the United Kingdom". Royal Holloway University News. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  18. ↑ ACAA Services 2023-24 Report. Afghanistan and Central Asian Association. Retrieved 2024-12-03
  19. ↑ Iaccino, Ludovica (19 June 2017). "Meet the man who fled the Taliban and is now helping Afghan refugee women in London". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  20. ↑ "ACAA Celebrates Launch Of Rehabilitation And Reintegration Project With The Ministry Of Justice". Afghanistan and Central Asian Association Blogs. 4 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  21. 1 2 "Written Evidence Submission". UK Parliament. 29 October 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  22. ↑ "Lewisham refugee charity receives Queen's Award for Voluntary Service | Eastlondonlines". Eastlondonlines. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  23. ↑ "The London Gazette, Queen's Award 2018". The Gazette. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  24. ↑ Woode, David (17 January 2020). "British Citizen Awards: recognising the local heroes impacting the lives of those around them". inews.co.uk. i. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  25. ↑ "Third Sector Awards shortlist announced". www.thirdsector.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  26. ↑ "The Role of Women in Extremism – Fempower Workshop at ACAA – Quilliam". www.quilliaminternational.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  27. ↑ "Afghanistan's first Citizen's Advice Centres: A path to foreign aid success?". South Asia @ LSE. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  28. ↑ "Lewisham Council to take in over 100 refugee families | Eastlondonlines". Eastlondonlines. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  29. 1 2 "Conference on Afghanistan future on 25th". www.pajhwok.com. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  30. ↑ TheECHRA (5 June 2012), European Campaign for Human Rights in Afghanistan - Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi, retrieved 15 October 2018
  31. ↑ "Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE". first magazine for councillors. Local Government Association. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N22.
  33. ↑ "Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE awarded Honorary Doctorate for charity work with refugees in the United Kingdom". www.royalholloway.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  34. ↑ Gius, Isabelle (2 July 2026). "Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi's story: A journey of survival, sacrifice and service". UK for UNHCR. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  35. 1 2 Gius, Isabelle (2 July 2026). "Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi's story: A journey of survival, sacrifice and service". UK for UNHCR. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  36. ↑ "Written evidence submitted by the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  37. ↑ "Written evidence submitted by the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  38. ↑ "Afghanistan and Central Asian Association submission to UK Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  39. ↑ "Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE on Data Policy". Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  40. ↑ "What's Next for Afghan Refugees in the UK? Refugee and Asylum Policy". Eventbrite. Afghanistan and Central Asian Association. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  41. ↑ "No current talks with Taliban, Massoud says". Reuters. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
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