Uzbekistan not keen to admit Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban

By AGNIESZKA PIKULICKA-WILCZEWSKA
Associated Press

TERMEZ, Uzbekistan (AP) — As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, thousands of Afghans looked for ways to escape what they see as a return of a ruthless fundamentalist rule. A 30-year-old man who operated a cross-border oil company still had a business visa that allowed him to enter neighboring Uzbekistan. But he was one of the lucky few to find refuge in the ex-Soviet republic. Uzbekistan appears wary about a flood of Afghan refugees and locals say visas are nearly impossible to get now. Experts note that Uzbek authorities have long maintained a tightly closed border with Afghanistan, fearing an influx of extremists.