KABUL (SW) – To flee the ensuing violence and crippling poverty, many Afghan migrants even borrowed money on high interest rates just to flee from the country.
Living in a Greek refugee camp, Abdul Khaliq is one such Afghan. Narrating his ordeal, Abdul Khaliq said he had no savings, and was compelled to borrow money on inflated interest. “I took loan and was compelled to pay back double of that. For instance, for AFN 10,000 I must pay back AFN 20,000”, he said.
Irregular migration continues to shatter lives
A Helmandi youth’s tale of successful return from migration
Among multiple factors, war and poverty are the biggest causes of migration. This phenomenon has been the cause of migration of millions of Afghan citizens to different countries of the world for many years.
“It’s been two years since I migrated,” said Abdul Khaliq. “I am still faced with so many troubles, I live with a vague fate inside this refugee camps, and under the administration of the Greek government, it may or may not grant us asylum. I have lost my whole life in Afghanistan and have nothing to return to, if I am deported, I will have nothing. Whatever I had, I paid for migration”, he said.
Sayed Abdul Basit Ansari, a consultant at the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, said in this regard that various institutions are working domestically and internationally to help and support migrants and to work with displaced persons in need.
“In countries where we have migrants and refugees, these institutions are active, and the ministry’s post-reform programs are also rapidly underway in various sectors, from job creation to emergency aid, in a bid to help the migrants and returnees,” added Ansari.
The problems that Abdul Khaliq highlighted are just a handful of so many other glitches that the Afghan migrants are faced with. For many who have walked this path, such dangers have arisen and many even lost their lives on threse treacherous routes. Lack of awareness of the dangerous and unfortunate consequences of irregular migration has increased this trend in recent years.
Abdul Khaliq added: “I was not aware of the existence of any institution that might have helped and I do not ask for financial help from the any institutions. It is even enough for them to create jobs and provide the ground for work. Now that the world is facing the coronavirus, health measures are not being considered, the situation is worrying, and on the other hand, peace talks (in Afghanistan) are not clear. These all have multiplied the problems of migrants.”
Meanwhile, Sayed Shir Hossein Hunaryar, head of the Migration Advisory Center, which works in the field of counseling, has stressed that people who plan to travel to other countries can contact them online or through the toll free number 8888 or consult in person.
Despite all the daily hardships, a large number of Afghan refugees have recently been looking forward to returning home as peace talks between representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban remained in limbo.
Like Abdul Khaliq, many of displaced continue to hope for a world free of the phenomenan of forced migration.
ENDS
