She is a young Afghan woman who had a bright future as a student in Afghanistan. She aimed to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer. She had done well. Instead, the Taliban came and took back power over the country.
The young woman joined the protests and confronted Taliban leaders demanding education for girls. She is one of the bravest people I have ever met.
A couple of nights later, the family received a violent visit and a promise to face death early. Undoubtedly a promise that would be kept. They chose to flee across the border to Pakistan – while waiting for a visa to a third country.
About 600,000 Afghans have fled
The family was and is far from alone. Around 600,000 Afghans have fled to Pakistan after the Taliban took over. Part because of poverty. Others because they worked as police, military or human rights activists and are at risk of being arrested, killed or disappeared in Afghanistan.
One group is waiting for visas to third countries, others are living undocumented in Pakistan along with tens of thousands of others who have lived without documents for decades. All those people think the Pakistani leadership should pack their life and future in a bag and go back to Afghanistan before November 1st.
The reason is that Pakistan believes that Afghans are behind or have participated in several of the recent terrorist acts, even though Pakistan has plenty of its own citizens within the extremist environment.
It is more likely about the tense diplomatic relations between the countries. The deportation decision is condemned by several human rights organizations, including Amnesty.
The Taliban themselves also think it’s a stupid idea. On the other hand, there has been silence from the EU, despite the fact that it is not time to turn its back on the issue.
At risk of ending up at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea
That the affected Afghans would voluntarily return to a large hole of uncertainty in Afghanistan is not likely, but instead many will probably try to move on. When I talk to a Pakistani journalist, he says that there will be congestion on the Pakistan-Iran-Turkey-Europe route in the future.
More boats with Afghans at risk of ending up at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.
So what is the solution? Either the Taliban and the Pakistani government have to agree on something where both lose equally. Or the EU and other Western countries must help Pakistan with the refugee situation.