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With the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan Australians desperately begged the Australian government to rescue their wives and children from Kabul.
According to reports, lawmakers have received “desperate and heartbreaking requests for help” from Australian citizens and residents with families stranded in the city.
Kay is an Afghan Hazara Australian. His wife is trapped in Kabul. He said that unless she can board the evacuation plane, he doesn’t know what they will do.
As the Taliban progressed, she called Kay every night and cried.
“She didn’t sleep,” he told Al Jazeera. “She is stressed, and stressed.”
The Taliban declared victory after entering Kabul on Sunday night.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Australia will begin to evacuate in the next few days, and Australian Air Force aircraft will go to Afghanistan for airlift, but it is not clear who will fly.
Australian media said that the rescue mission will focus on Australian citizens, Afghans and their families working with the Australian army, “a team of Australian Defence Forces, Australian Border Force officials, diplomats and consulates.”
The National Security Council met on Monday to discuss these plans.
When American soldiers stood guard, Afghans crowded Kabul Airport [Shakib Rahmani /AFP]There are approximately 50,000 Hazaras in Australia, most of whom fled Afghanistan during the Taliban regime in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when they were targeted because of their ethnicity and Shia beliefs.
According to Atika Hussain, Kay’s lawyer, refugee lawyer and human rights advocate, Kay is just one of hundreds of Australian citizens and permanent residents with family members in Afghanistan who have already applied for a partner visa. But the waiting time exceeded the listed processing time.
Kay’s wife, who is Hazara like her husband, applied for a partner visa in January 2019 and is expected to be processed within 16 to 23 months.
Following the escalation of Taliban violence in Afghanistan after the Taliban reached a peace agreement with the United States last year, Kay began to request an urgent response to his wife’s visa application to allow her to leave the country.
In February of this year, he contacted his MP Julian Hill, who forwarded the matter to Alex Hawke, Minister of Immigration, Citizenship, Immigration Services and Multicultural Affairs.
“I have been worried [for] For two and a half years, almost three years, they did nothing,” Kay told Al Jazeera.
Last week, the Ministry of the Interior finally responded, saying that it was impossible to deviate from the established priorities, and suggested that “consider [his] Treating medical professionals or consulting services”.
The letter then provided links to two well-known mental health support organizations.
At this time, the Taliban controlled more than a quarter of the provincial capitals of Afghanistan and continued to march towards Kabul.
Attica said that the situation has become so urgent now that even for family members stranded in Kabul, even expedited processing of delayed visas is not enough.
“Even if they do not have a visa, we ask Australia to intervene and evacuate them,” she said. “Take them to a safe place.”
Hidden affiliation
Atika also has family and other clients in Kabul, and she said people are beginning to hide their identities and affiliations.
“People who are associated with any Westerner, they are destroying their files,” she told Al Jazeera. “My other clients have also destroyed their family photos. Anything that shows their husbands or [any] The family is overseas…because what happened is [the] The Taliban came and they searched the house. “
Kai said that in the worst case, Kai’s wife would destroy all her files, but he worried that she was still in danger.
He said that the Taliban usually ask people who have family overseas from door to door, and everyone knows that he is in Australia.
“We are married and we have been inviting everyone, like a thousand people, they all know,” Kay told Al Jazeera. “[And] I’m on social media, and all my…posts are public…I have no way to hide, no way. “
If the Taliban did find and “close” Kay’s wife, she would tell him that she wanted to have the option of suicide.
“She told me she was going to the nearest medicine [store]…Get some kind of [drug]”,” he said. “…This is what she thinks now. I do not know what to do. “
Kai said that as a woman without a husband, Kai’s wife is very fragile.
“mine [wife] Young she didn’t [any] Children, even if she [tells them] Yes, I am married, will they believe it? The Taliban don’t care,” Kay said.
When the Taliban took power for the last time more than 20 years ago, they strictly enforced the interpretation of Islamic law, including prohibiting women from studying or working, prohibiting them from leaving home without a male guardian, and requiring them to wear the well-known full-length robe. As a burqa. Women are stoned to death on charges of adultery, and public executions are common.
In its recent progress, there are reports that similar measures have been taken and that Taliban leaders have been ordering girls over 15 or widows under 45 to force marriages with fighters of the organization.
“These stories spread and spread to young girls in Kabul… [and] They must make a decision… whether to accept the forced marriage of fate and the warrior, or… protect [themselves],” Attica said.
“[If you kill yourself first] You will not be humiliated, your body will not be humiliated, your spirit will not be humiliated,” she said, “so they want to protect themselves. “
Another Atika client has a wife and three young children in Kabul.
The family could not obtain a visa to go to another country, and because his wife took the children alone, it was difficult for her to arrange to escape with the human smugglers.
“Smugglers, they took homes with male supervisors,” Attica said. “Smugglers don’t want women and children because [they are] A responsibility.
Hazara women demonstrated in Kabul in 2016.Kay is worried that his wife, like him, is also Hazara [Omar Sobhani/Reuters]Atika said that the family is now trapped in Kabul. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, their father, another Australian citizen, cannot leave Australia to contact them.
“Even if he [could travel], He won’t find any tickets… it will take another two to three weeks,” she said. “He doesn’t have time to wait for that. “
Attica talked to him on Sunday.
“He… almost crying. What should he do?” she said.
On Monday, the Australian government said that in light of the Taliban’s advancement, it is considering expanding the number of Afghan refugees it accepts.
Kai wants to know why the family of an Australian citizen is not a priority for evacuation. He said he has the ability to support his wife instead of asking for charity-he just wants her to be taken to a safe place.
“I am an Australian citizen and I work hard for this country…I have all my rights,” he said. “Why my [wife] There they are trying [rescue people who have] Have been working [with Australia] Two or three years? “
Al Jazeera contacted the Ministry of the Interior to comment on the matter, but had not yet responded as of press time.
Now, all Kay can do is wait.
He said he was rarely weak and never thought of committing suicide, but if Australia could not save his wife, his life would be meaningless.
“Please… do it as soon as possible, at least send it [her] To the nearest country…” he said. “We need them to make [her] safe. “
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