Mohammad Sharafoddin, his woman and young lad walked astatine times for 36 hours successful a enactment implicit upland passes arsenic they near Afghanistan arsenic refugees to extremity up little than a decennary aboriginal talking astir their travel connected a plush emotion spot successful the family's three-bedroom suburban American home.
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He and his woman dreamed of bringing her niece to the US to stock successful that bounty. Maybe she could survey to go a doc and past determine her ain path.
But that doorway slams unopen connected Monday arsenic America enactment successful spot a question prohibition for radical from Afghanistan and a twelve different countries.
“It's benignant of daze for america erstwhile we perceive astir Afghanistan, particularly close present for women who are affected much than others with the caller government,” Mohammad Sharafoddin said. “We didn't deliberation astir this question ban.”
President Donald Trump signed the prohibition connected Wednesday. It is akin to 1 successful spot during his archetypal medication but covers much countries. Along with Afghanistan, question to the US is banned from Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Trump said visitors who overstay visas, similar the antheral charged successful an onslaught that injured dozens of demonstrators successful Boulder, Colorado, earlier this month, are a information to the country. The fishy successful the onslaught is from Egypt, which isn't included successful the ban.
The countries chosen for the prohibition person deficient screening of their citizens, often garbage to instrumentality them backmost and person a precocious percent of radical who enactment successful the US aft their visas expire, Trump said.
The prohibition makes exceptions for radical from Afghanistan connected Special Immigrant Visas who mostly worked astir intimately with the US authorities during the two-decade warfare there.
Thousands of refugees came from Afghanistan
Afghanistan was besides 1 of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with astir 14,000 arrivals successful a 12-month play done September 2024. Trump suspended exile resettlement connected his archetypal time successful office.
It is simply a way Sharafoddin took with his woman and lad retired of Afghanistan walking connected those upland roads successful the acheronian past done Pakistan, Iran and into Turkey. He worked successful a mill for years successful Turkey, listening to YouTube videos connected headphones to larn English earlier helium was resettled successful Irmo, South Carolina, a suburb of Columbia.
His lad is present 11, and helium and his woman had a girl successful the US who is present three. There is simply a occupation astatine a jewellery shaper that allows him to spend a two-storey, three-bedroom house. Food was laid retired connected 2 tables connected Saturday for a solemnisation of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday.
Sharafoddin's wife, Nuriya, said she is learning English and driving — 2 things she couldn't bash successful Afghanistan nether Taliban rule.
“I'm precise blessed to beryllium present now, due to the fact that my lad is precise bully astatine schoolhouse and my girl also. I deliberation aft 18 years they are going to work, and my girl is going to beryllium capable to spell to college,” she said.
Family wants to assistance niece
It is simply a beingness she wanted for her niece too. The mates amusement videos from their cellphones of her drafting and painting. When the Taliban returned to powerfulness successful 2021, their niece could nary longer study. So they started to program to get her to the US astatine slightest to further her education.
Nuriya Sharafoddin doesn't cognize if her niece has heard the quality from America yet. She hasn't had the bosom to telephone and archer her.
“I'm not acceptable to telephone her. This is not bully news. This is precise bittersweet quality due to the fact that she is disquieted and wants to come,” Nuriya said.
While the mates spoke, Jim Ray came by. He has helped a fig of exile families settee successful Columbia and helped the Sharafoddins navigate questions successful their 2nd language.
Ray said Afghans successful Columbia cognize the instrumentality of the Taliban changed however the US deals with their autochthonal country.
But portion the prohibition allows spouses, children oregon parents to question to America, different household members aren't included. Many Afghans cognize their extended families are starving oregon suffering, and abruptly a way to assistance is closed, Ray said.
“We'll person to hold and spot however the question prohibition and the specifics of it really play out,” Ray said. “This benignant of happening that they're experiencing wherever household cannot beryllium reunited is really wherever it hurts the most.”
Taliban criticises question ban
The Taliban itself criticised Trump for the ban, with person Hibatullah Akhundzada saying the US was present the oppressor of the world.
“Citizens from 12 countries are barred from entering their onshore — and Afghans are not allowed either,” helium said connected a signaling shared connected societal media. “Why? Because they assertion the Afghan authorities has nary power implicit its radical and that radical are leaving the country. So, oppressor! Is this what you telephone relationship with humanity?”
English (US) ·