June 16, 2024
By Bilal Baseer
ISLAMABAD
Fazila Hamidi, spends her days living in Pakistan by teaching children from other Afghan families. Her journey from Afghanistan to Pakistan’s capital city has neither been easy, nor typical. In 2022, Fazila’s family along with 23 others were forced to flee from the escalating dangers in Afghanistan.
Back in Afghanistan, these families served as a vital foundation of FINCA Afghanistan – a nonprofit microfinance organization and an affiliate of FINCA International – headquartered in Kabul. They had dedicated their lives to empowering Afghan communities, a commitment that after the Taliban’s resurgence in August 2021 put their lives in peril.
After guidance from FINCA and the US Department of State, these families sought refuge in Pakistan, holding onto the promise of US visas under the P2 program. This program was designed to assist Afghan citizens who had worked for the US government, US media or NGOs like FINCA to escape potential Taliban retaliation. According to US laws, these refugees had to be relocated to a third country for their cases to be processed before their potential immigration to the US.
Speaking to Voicepk, Fazila told of her inability to attend university for further education thus halting her personal growth. She also pointed out the lack of educational access for many children in similar circumstances.
“We are facing financial constraints as we cannot find employment which makes our livelihood difficult and challenging,” she commented.
Mohammad Humayoon, another displaced FINCA employee, explained that as FINCA’s mission focused on empowering women and providing loans, the Taliban’s rise endangered him and his colleagues.
Humayoon recounted how he and his colleagues sold all their belongings in the hope of swift resettlement. But months turned into years and their future has remained uncertain.
Malek Habibi, another employee shared similar concerns about their future while echoing the sentiments of many.
Habibi recounted facing an attack by the Taliban in Afghanistan which have resulted in severe injuries. He and his colleagues were recommended for the P2 program by FINCA. They sold everything in Afghanistan while hoping to quickly move to the U.S. However, two years later in Pakistan he was told his organization did not qualify and his case was closed.
Habibi expressed immense frustration, saying, “Now that the U.S. authorities have closed our cases, what are we supposed to do? I sold everything with no way back to Afghanistan. In Pakistan, without a visa or job all my savings are gone. We came here following official emails from the U.S. State Department to save our lives – my wife’s and our children’s lives.”
Habibi’s wife is pregnant and confined at home as she has no access to healthcare facilities and she weeps and cries all the time in pain and has become depressed.
Human rights activist Fatima Atif recently met these families, advocating for immediate action and demanding that all FINCA employees be called to the US Embassy to discuss their situation. She urged the Pakistani government to utilize diplomatic channels for their resettlement. Nasreen Azhar, a council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also supported this cause and pledged to raise the issue with relevant authorities for a viable solution.
“We will engage with the US Embassy and UNHCR regarding this humanitarian issue,” she stated.
When approached, a spokesperson from the US embassy commented, “We are committed to facilitating the safe and efficient resettlement of eligible Afghans to the United States. Each case is unique and undergoes a thorough review in accordance with US law and policy.”
The promise of US visas had led these families to risk everything. Now stranded in Pakistan, they face uncertainty—unable to return home and unsure of their reception in the US.