From the road, it appears to be like like simply one other Kabul compound, however that’s the purpose. The households inside don’t wish to be discovered. They’re hiding from the Taliban who patrol the town of their pickups.
Occupied by former staff of Canada’s navy mission in Afghanistan, the compound is self-contained so that they don’t must exit, the place they danger getting stopped and questioned.
Behind a heavy gate, there’s a courtyard so filled with youngsters it’s like a playground at recess, in addition to a big eating corridor and rooms the place virtually 250 Afghans keep whereas they wait to flee to Canada.
“A few of them had been carpenters, a few of them had been mechanics, a few of them had been interpreters,” stated Mohammad Umer, a former Canadian Forces interpreter residing on the protected home.
“Don’t depart us alone.”
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A whole bunch of Afghans left behind by Canada’s stalled evacuation effort are scattered all through Kabul in protected homes like this. The areas of the residences, houses and lodges are a carefully guarded secret.
However World Information was capable of go to three of the amenities final week, uncommon entry to Afghans stranded between the houses they deserted in Kandahar because the Taliban seized the nation and the promise of a brand new life in Canada.
As former staff of Canada’s navy when it was deployed to Kandahar, they had been advised the Canadian authorities would resettle them due to the dangers they confronted underneath the Taliban.
However that promise stays unfulfilled, and since August they’ve been residing in Kabul protected homes with their households, fearing the Taliban is aware of who they’re and can come for them.
Boy at a Kabul protected home for Afghans awaiting evacuation to Canada.
Stewart Bell/World Information
A former safety guard on the Canadian base in Kandahar who’s now hiding in Kabul stated the Taliban had kidnapped her son, despatched her his picture, and advised her to show herself in.
One other stated the Taliban kidnapped his brother and beat him whereas asking him to disclose his location. A number of spoke of the Taliban visiting their houses in Kandahar, on the lookout for them.
“We’re their enemies,” stated a resident of the protected home, a former Canadian Forces interpreter who goes by Eric and didn’t need his full identify printed.
“They are going to take their revenge.”
He stated former Canadian navy staff thought Kabul could be safe after they fled there. They didn’t imagine the Taliban wouldn’t take it. They didn’t anticipate the federal government to break down, however it did.
Gun-mounted pickups rolled into the town flying white flags, claiming energy for the primary time for the reason that Taliban was ousted in 2001 for offering protected haven to the Al Qaeda terrorist community behind the 9/11 assaults.
Taliban members pose with their flag at Massoud Circle, the place portraits of the anti-Taliban fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud have been torn down.
Stewart Bell/World Information
Their arrival was chilling for Eric.
When he labored at Ahead Operation Base Graceland, he stated he received threats from the Taliban within the type of telephone calls and letters. His uncle, who labored for the U.S. forces, was shot lifeless whereas on his manner house, he stated.
With the Taliban on the doorstep of Kandahar, Eric packed up his household and fled to Kabul in June. He utilized for resettlement per week after this system was introduced in July, he stated.
Although he acquired his visa in August, Kabul airport was chaos. Crowds thronged the airport and he couldn’t discover any Canadians to assist him get on an evacuation flight.
Since then, he’s been residing in a top-floor room on the protected home. There aren’t any extra planes, and the land borders require visas which are laborious to get, particularly for these missing passports. He largely stays indoors.
“The atmosphere just isn’t protected,” he stated. “It’s dangerous to be right here.”
Kids at a protected home for Afghans awaiting evacuation to Canada.
Stewart Bell/World Information
Canadian navy veterans have been capable of extract virtually 300 Afghans to Pakistan in convoys, however they stated one other 10,000 resettlement purposes remained within the nation.
Canada’s door is open however out of attain.
Emails despatched to the Canadian authorities about his case generate auto-replies, he stated. Afghans helped the Canadian Forces after they had been in his nation, Eric stated.
“Nicely, it’s time for them to assist us.”
The protected homes had been meant to be non permanent shelters, short-term lodging for at-risk Afghans whereas they transited between Kandahar and Canada, however evacuations have all however ended.
And with the resettlement course of lagging, the Canadian non-profit that operates the amenities, Aman Lara, stated it was working out of cash and must start shutting them on Nov. 5.
Former Canadian Forces worker Driver Gafar exhibits an e-mail authorizing him to journey to Canada, however he stated he remained stranded at a Kabul protected home.
Stewart Bell/World Information
Sitting within the protected home eating corridor with greater than 40 Afghan males, who all declare to have hyperlinks to Canada’s navy, Umer stated the households had depleted their financial savings and had nowhere else to go.
Even when they’d cash, financial institution withdrawals are restricted to $200 per week, because of the nation’s financial disaster. “That is actually a stressed time for all of them,” Umer stated.
Solely 40 per cent of the households on the protected home are authorised for resettlement to Canada, however there’s manner out of Afghanistan anyway, he stated.
There are few evacuation flights and Pakistan is troublesome to enter.
Kabul, October 2021.
Stewart Bell/World Information
These residing on the protected home stated they had been annoyed on the sluggish tempo of their immigration instances, and the Canadian authorities’s failure to assist them depart the nation.
“Velocity up the evacuation course of,” Umer stated.
Taliban members and officers assured World Information in interviews they might not retaliate in opposition to Afghans who labored for the Canadian and different worldwide forces throughout the 20-year battle.
However few in Kabul give a lot weight to what the Taliban has been saying because it makes an attempt to influence the world to acknowledge it as Afghanistan’s new authorities and re-open the stream of worldwide support.
Having witnessed the Taliban’s conduct over the previous 25 years, and the way in which it threatened and focused Afghans who supported the coalition forces, there are widespread fears of a looming crackdown.
Kids at a Kabul protected home for Afghans ready to be evacuated to Canada.
Stewart Bell/World Information
In line with some Afghans, it’s already underway.
A mom of two, Dorkhani, confirmed World Information a certificates of appreciation she acquired in 2006 for her contribution to the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Staff in Kandahar.
As a member of a neighborhood safety group, she carried out physique searches of girls for the Canadian Forces. She additionally had a certificates from the U.S. Military.
Six months in the past, she stated her son, 22, a former driver for the Canadian Forces, was killed when the Taliban bombed his automobile. She left Kandahar for Kabul three days later.
However final week she stated her 19-year-old son was kidnapped by the Taliban in Kandahar. The Taliban received her telephone quantity from her son and despatched her messages on WhatsApp, telling her to show herself in.
When she refused, they threatened her, calling her a slave of the infidels. Her son was launched after three days. She stated the Taliban hated her as a result of she labored for the worldwide forces.
She stated she had utilized for resettlement to Canada however didn’t know the place her case stood.
A room at a Kabul protected home for Afghans making an attempt to get to Canada.
Stewart Bell/World Information
At one other protected home in a distinct a part of Kabul, the bolted entrance gate opens to a youngsters’s slide. Out again, three youngsters play on a swing set.
The home has burgundy carpets and a basement stocked with meals, drinks and drugs. A spiral staircase connects ranges occupied by eight households. All are ready to seek out their strategy to Canada.
“The Taliban are telling us, ‘You helped the Canadian Forces, you might be infidels,’” stated Alokozay, a protected home resident who didn’t need his full identify printed.
“Simply get is out of this Afghanistan.”
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On one other stage, a person who stated the Canadian troops nicknamed him Driver Gafar sat on a cushion surrounded by his youngsters, recalling how he had escorted Canadian navy convoys round Kandahar, utilizing his data of native roads to maintain the troops protected.
As Kandahar was falling to the Taliban in July, Gafar utilized for resettlement to Canada. He left his barbershop and grocery retailer to carry his spouse and 7 youngsters to Kabul, solely to seek out it was a lifeless finish.
“In the event that they catch me they’ll do unhealthy issues to me,” he stated of the Taliban, including they’d already kidnapped his son.
Former Canadian Forces worker Driver Gafar and his son, 13, kidnapped by the Taliban when he strayed from their Kabul protected home.
Stewart Bell/World Information
In mid-September, the 13-year-old left the protected home with out permission to get ice cream and was caught by the Taliban.
They took him to the Panjshir Valley, the place the Taliban was preventing the remnants of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance rebels.
“There have been rockets, there have been gunshots in every single place, so I used to be very afraid,” the boy stated in an interview.
Put to work within the kitchen, he hauled water, washed dishes and helped with the cooking, he stated. He was then moved south to Helmand Province, the place his father lastly discovered him. He had been lacking for 18 days.
Gafar stated he needed to get his youngsters to Canada so they might stay with out concern and return to high school. “That is crucial for us,” he stated. “All we want from Canadians is to push our instances.”
World Information met dozens of Afghans with comparable accounts of leaving their houses and jobs in Kandahar, and shifting to Kabul with the understanding that Canada would evacuate them.
Many had pictures displaying them working with the Canadian Forces, in addition to certificates of appreciation from the Canadian navy — though others stated they’d burned their information so the Taliban wouldn’t discover them.
Haji Toor Jan has pictures displaying him working with the Canadian Forces, however stated he’s stranded in Kabul.
Stewart Bell/World Information
Some confirmed emails indicating they’d been accepted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Others stated their immigration instances had been being processed and questioned the tempo of Canada’s resettlement program.
“The method is absolutely unhealthy,” stated Abdul Baqi, who stated he was generally known as Haji Toor Jan when he was head of safety on the Canadian Armed Forces camp in Kandahar.
Since fleeing to Kabul, he stated he had been shifting weekly to keep away from the Taliban. He disguises himself by carrying glasses and switches his clothes, he stated.
He stated whereas a handful of former colleagues had made it to Pakistan and on to Toronto, he was annoyed to be among the many many left behind to fend for themselves.
“The folks that must be evacuated quickly are nonetheless right here,” he stated.
