HIS mother is out of medication, his brother’s children are out of school.
His business-owner father is giving, not selling, goods to customers who no longer have money to buy from him And the Taliban is going door-to-door asking for money.
This is the reality for one Scots-Afghan whose family has found all safe routes out of their homeland are blocked, with calls for help to UK authorities unanswered H, whose name we have agreed not to publish due to concerns about the family’s safety, is a youth worker and member of a counter-terrorism advisory board to UK authorities.
He’d thought his service to the British state would count for something. But his mum B, a British citizen, is amongst those now trapped in Afghanistan’s harsh winter as famine fears grow. He’s had to cancel the appointments she’d scheduled with her doctor in London and the practice has de-registered her to make space for other patients.
READ MORE: The Ferret: Afghans in hiding from Taliban make desperate plea
“I’ve contributed to Scotland, I’ve contributed to England – not just me, my whole family, everybody,” says H. “Now they’ve not got anybody to help them. Britain is not helping us figure out a way to bring them here. They don’t give a fuck, they don’t give a shit.”
The case comes to light in the same week that the UK Government tightened the rules around eligibility for the Afghan Resettlement and Protection (Arap) scheme, which was put in place for some Afghans who worked directly for British authorities there.
The UK Government has repeatedly emphasised that the only legitimate way for asylum seekers to come to the UK is by “safe and legal” routes. Arap is one such route and was already closed to most people.
H’s family aren’t eligible for that scheme and while his mother B has British citizenship, his father does not.
His mother had been staying in Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second-largest city, while visiting her husband, son and his children. She brought H to Glasgow around 20 years ago before moving on to London. However, the family was unable to move together as they became separated while seeking refuge, with her husband and other son remaining in Afghanistan. H’s father aimed to live out his days in Kandahar, but that all changed in August as the UK and US pulled their troops out and the Taliban swept back into power.
When the family felt the change coming, they tried to access the documents they needed, attempting to renew passports for the children and get all relevant permissions to travel.
But it was too late and documents now cost $4000 per person, plus bribes. In calls to UK authorities, H and his wife T have been told nothing can be done about travel to the UK without visas for those who do not have citizenship. But there are no active UK visa centres in Afghanistan and so the family, who are part of the Shia minority, can’t get this without getting across the border to Pakistan – and the Taliban are turning back Shia people at that border.
“My cousins were trying to leave. They ended up sleeping on the border for a week and the Taliban wouldn’t let them go,” says H. “They can see us and they know we’re Shia because of our facial features.
“Since the start of August, we have spent hours every single day trying to contact a variety of people – the Home Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, local MPs, charities and immigration lawyers for support,” he goes on. “Not a single person, charity or organisation has been able to meaningfully support me in ensuring my family in Afghanistan are safely evacuated.
READ MORE: How girls in Afghanistan are risking it all for an education
“My mother is disabled and among a myriad of mental health issues from PTSD to depression, was also injured in attacks and bomb blasts in our local Shia mosque in Kandahar. My brother and his wife are managing the care of both of my parents, both elderly and in need of medical support.
“I cannot begin to articulate the apathy, cruelty and lack of regard we’ve felt in response to the consequences of the British Government’s actions in Afghanistan. The dehumanisation of the Afghan people and negligence has taken a huge toll on my mental health and physical health in ways that are beyond belief.
“I had hope initially,” he tells the Sunday National. “I thought I could make it happen because of my contribution, my counter-terrorism work would mean I was going to get my family out of Afghanistan straight away. I have no hope whatsoever anymore. I used to be proud to call myself British. Now I don’t want to tell people that I am. I don’t want to be British.”
According to the UK Government,: “We continue to do all we can to support British citizens and eligible Afghans – several hundred people from Afghanistan have been brought to the UK via a third country since the end of the evacuation."
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