By Aber Sediqi
Arefa Rezayee, 28, is one of the women activists who had to flee Afghanistan in late March. She and a group of women activists had been protesting the severe restrictions that the Taliban imposed on women. Shouting “Work, Food, Freedom,” they held demonstrations in Kabul, but each time the Taliban broke up their protests. Many were arrested. “The Taliban would search for women protestors everywhere,” says Arefa Rezayee* in an interview with Zan Times. “I changed my residence several times in order not to be recognized, but, in the end, I had no other choice but to leave the country after it became very insecure.”
After getting a visa from Pakistan, Arefa crossed the border at Spin Boldak, Kandahar, and headed for Quetta, where she immediately faced numerous challenges. Her first challenge was that she didn’t speak Urdu, meaning a taxi driver was able to charge her 8,000 rupees instead of 2,500 for a ride.
Another challenge was the high price of house rentals in Islamabad. “After the Taliban takeover, a high number of Afghan migrants left for Pakistan, meaning the price of a house rental increased multiple times. I had to rent a house in Rawalpindi with a friend who already lived in Pakistan for 30,000 rupees per month,” adds Arefa Rezayee.
After just two months in Pakistan, she had already spent all the money that she had brought with her. Finally, she had to sell her gold necklace for 50,000 rupees. “I was desperate. I couldn’t even ask my family for help because I was the only person with a job in the family. My friends did not have any money either,” states Arefa.
She never expected to face such challenges in Pakistan, nor did other women who have left Afghanistan to escape the misogynistic Taliban. Shugofa Amiri* was an officer at the Ministry of Defense in the former government. She escaped to Pakistan almost a year ago. After visiting some realtors in Islamabad, Shugofa could not find a home, largely because she didn’t speak the language. “We were standing in front of a store when a compatriot of ours came close and asked what we were doing there. I responded that we had come from Afghanistan and didn’t speak the language, thus unable to find a house,” recounts Shugofa. The young man spoke to his family and then invited Shugofa and her mother to his house where they stayed for a day and night. “Had that man not come that day, my mother and I would have had to spend the night outdoors,” states Shugofa. She managed to rent a room next door with the help of her hosts. To pay for the rental and food, Shugofa had sold her belongings that remained in Kabul.
For Shugofa, one of the main challenges facing women refugees is not having a refugee card. “We cannot move around in Pakistan without a refugee card,” she explains.
Shugofa says many Afghan families in Pakistan have applied for asylum in Europe, but few have gotten approvals. “I have applied for asylum in many countries, but have not received an affirmative response from any of them,” she tells Zan Times.
Among the problems facing Afghan refugees in Pakistan, one of the most serious is the harsh attitude of the Pakistan police and people toward Afghans in their country.
Sahar* is another woman who had to leave Afghanistan due to her activism against the Taliban on social media platforms. Now living in Quetta, she has experienced the humiliating behaviour of Pakistani people. “The people in Pakistan do not treat us well. We are often called names like ‘fugitive,’” she recounts, explaining that they want to be paid some of the savings that Afghan refugees brought with them.
Describing life in Quetta as “difficult,” Sahar states that “Life here is like being in limbo. I cannot even describe what I am going through here.”
After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, a large number of women civil activists, military officials, and journalists escaped to neighbouring countries including Iran and Pakistan. Now, these asylum seekers face a growing list of challenges, including unemployment, unaffordable rental prices, a lack of legal residence permits, and no clarity as to their fate in Pakistan.
Recent statistics indicate that nearly 1.3 million Afghan migrants are registered in Pakistan, more than 300,000 of whom emigrated in the past 18 months.
In addition to the legal, economic, and mental challenges that the Afghan migrants are enduring, the Pakistan government is also increasing pressure on Afghan refugees. In a recent decision, the Pakistan government announced that the Afghan migrants whose residence permits have ended must leave Pakistan by the end of 2022 or face legal consequences.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees.
