Our Director, Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi, was awarded an MBE for services to Refugees, in the 2023 New Year Honours List.
Dr Nasimi, 55, is the founder/director of the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA), a London based charity which offers education, mentoring and integration support to refugees living in the UK and advocates for the rights of women living in Afghanistan.
Dr Nasimi, who came to the UK in 1999, says, “I am delighted to receive this great honour. I started the ACAA 23 years ago to provide refugees with advice and services that I was grateful for – or wished I had access to – during my first years in London.
“Today the work of the charity is more important than ever. The ACAA continues to support thousands of refugees who came over in Operation Pitting in August 2021, many of whom remain in hotels across the UK. The Taliban are intent on eradicating the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, and the war in Ukraine has disrupted so many lives. To help combat these issues, the ACAA has created a women’s movement and established services tailored to newly arrived Ukrainian refugees.”
In 2020, Dr Nasimi received the British Citizen Award and, in 2018, the charity was given a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. His children have grown up and become successful adults with positions in the civil service and the private sector. Dr Nasimi’s latest honour acknowledges the contribution he has made to refugee communities in London and beyond, and demonstrates what a refugee can achieve in the United Kingdom.
He tweeted, “I’d like to dedicate this to all refugees who make treacherous journeys to seek a better life. Also, a huge thanks to my team for making our work possible!”
Congratulations to Dr Nasimi!