Afghans: Do they know a Home anymore?

by Anirban Chakroborti

 

“It was very difficult to leave my country,” a veiled woman remembered in Doha, Qatar. “I love my country.”

But this is just one of the many similar sounding statements. Amidst the pace at which the Kabul takeover by the Taliban forces occurred before all US troops could even pull-out – one that is too tough for most of the world to process nearly a week after the horrifying videos surfaced on all social platforms – the ones at the centre of this catastrophe, the Afghans, remain just a number, or a stray image in our heads.

The video of a man grappling onto an aircraft’s fuselage only to fall to his death mid-air is more than just a cheap attempt at a green card. It cries of desperation, a cry for survival as decades old images from the previous Taliban regime resurface in the haunted citizens’ eyes.

As most of the world debates about the geo-political ramifications of this government takeover, with neighbours such as China, having on-going BRI projects and other investments in the area and treading diplomatically, with the likes of Iran actually having potential gains in recognizing the Taliban government (which itself is treading carefully with its PR efforts, officially stating to recognize women’s rights to avoid being declared a pariah state), it is fair to assume that the northern geo-political powers that could affect the country’s now Taliban governance (though faced by a weak system opposition from the Vice-President’s faction), would not do much to move a finger or anger the new regime.

If presumption does not fare well enough in a world of facts, it was noted byAfghan locals that Iranian officials on the other side welcomed the Taliban’s July 9^th takeover of the Islam Qala border crossing. Meanwhile, even when the Russian President Putin is not open to taking in Afghan refugees, claiming they could be potential militants, a Taliban delegation was accepted to confirm their actions, or victories within the country wouldn’t affect the neighbours. A Kremlin envoy to initiate talks with the Taliban with one’s state is a form of political recognition in itself.

Meanwhile, as most neighbours of the mountain-state are too worried about the implications politically and economically for their investments beyond borders – the haunting cries and fuelling images just stay in the minds of the netizens that probably takes a 2 second pause from his usual scrolling frenzy. And while the entire internet is torn on this, as any other socio-political issue, there are factions that are open to housing immigrants in their countries, while another can’t trust enough, for things they have experienced, or learnt. As we wade past the mud-slinging at different US Presidents and the sarcastic claims that the seeking of political asylum has become a fast-track to Green Cards for many, let us actually see what it looks like to an Afghan immigrant at the time, and what awaits them.

 

If the woman’s cries from the lead to this article have not been forgotten yet, it would be good to know that the international humanitarian worker never wished to leave her home country before the Taliban take-over, for the obvious threat it posed to her life.

Another man at the Doha compound housing evacuees till they were let into a third country, claimed, “There is not a lot of hope for the future”. A family man, who seeks refuge with his three children, wife and parents, fled because he has no confidence in the Taliban’s assurances of women’s rights and amnesty for citizens who worked with foreign organisations.

Of the many at the compound, was a young law student. All he remembers is leaving behind his wife – someone he’d married before the evacuation. “Our minds are back home because our families remain. My wife is there. My parents are there, my siblings. I just hope they are evacuated ... in case that doesn't happen and things go wrong, I think I would make up my mind and wish to go back,” is all he had to say.

But that’s not all. We cannot forget the images of people passing their children over the airport compound walls – parents entrusting strangers with their children’s futures. There have been reports of a refugee woman giving birth on a US evacuation plane. And they all come together to tell a story.

However, what really awaits them as they seek shelter overseas?

Internet message boards put you across various people.

There are some who find it tough to open doors to immigrants for news updates as the follows:

 

A 2020 report reveals the countries that already took in Afghan refugees in the past year, going as follows:

 

 

At the moment, this is the stance of nations on immigrants:

USA: Will accept people from Afghanistan who have previously worked with the government.

UK: With room for 20,000, prioritizing women, children and those facing persecution.

Australia: Currently having plans to provide 3000 visas to Afghans.

Tajikistan: They are planning on housing 100,000 refugees from the region.

Canada: They are already housing 20,000 asylum seekers.

Germany: Angela Merkel has plans to take in 10,000 at-risk Afghans.

India: The nation is committed to evacuating Hindus and Sikhs, introducing a new category of visa which will be valid for 6 months.

Iran: Has set up tents in 3 bordering provinces for refugees.

Pakistan: Declared to close borders with Afghanistan, though some shelter seekers have been let to pass up until now.

 

Meanwhile, from the chart of the Year 2020, there have been many countries which have now taken an increasingly conservative stance:

 

Turkey: Has reinforced its borders with Iran to prevent any potential influx of immigrants.

Austria: Is more directed towards helping Afghans locally instead of providing shelter to asylum-seekers in their country.

Russia: They clearly announced not wanting Afghan militants arriving under the cover of refugees.

France: While their president mentioned his will to help those facing persecution, the country is unwilling to open up to “significant waves of illegal migrants”.

 

In case these people were to even find shelter in these new countries providing them refuge – what really awaits them?

Acceptance from the society at large has always been a big concern to many. With most refugees often having to leave without adequate documentation, a problem they’re often faced with is suitable employment, or societal approval.

A conversation with a foreign correspondent (who shall not be named here) revealed that even if many Afghans will be helped in these countries providing refuge, their occupational status remains a big question.

In a bid to understand what attitudes towards them look like in general, I got into a conversation with a few overseas friends.

Here are some of the snippets:

"They already have huge racism problems in England right now... white people feel like England's being taken over by everybody. There's space...it's not like there isn't space in other countries for refugees, even for a while", believes Elizabeth*, a British who lives in France and follows these issues closely.

Mary*, a French citizen found that "the Syrian refugees we (they) welcomed... some of them did really good. But... I feel like if we just welcome them and then nothing, then it's not gonna work... we need like, a structural plan to have them in the long term".

Amidst the existing status of many refugees, and the way some governments are seeing them from the list above, a ray of hope that we do have is the citizens' attitude towards them - especially in a democracy. While France was still conservative towards letting in Afghan refugees this time, they had welcomed a considerable number in the past year, and the same attitude reflects in the opinions of some citizens, though the actions of Generation Identity does also show the other side.

The Far-right sees a rise in various parts of the world, and in the case of attracting the youth, it labels itself on the cultural aspects instead of strongly emphasizing the racial aspect to avoid the brand for being the same. 

However, a visible trend in our accepting approach towards asylum-seekers in the recent times would be seen through the increasing emphasis on considering how to house them. With citizens actually caring about the board and bread for many along with employment situations, significant institutional attention would have to follow heavily in the direction.

As the world ponders on the nitty gritties of survival, system and society, an Afghan child waits in an unfamiliar new place, probably wondering if she'd like the last sight of her country, to be her last memory of it.

The writer is a financial journalist who has written both editorial and op-ed pieces across publications on socio-political subjects. 

*Names in the post have been changed to protect identities.