By Tim Lister, Clarissa Ward and Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) Fawad is one of hundreds and probably thousands of Afghans whose applications for visas to enter the US are somewhere in limbo. Now, unable to reach Kabul airport, he and his family are living in fear — too scared to venture outside.Over the past day, CNN has communicated with Fawad and several other Afghans whose lives are now in the balance. They all have a long history of working with or for the US government or contractors. They all feel trapped and abandoned. CNN is not disclosing their identities for their safety.Fawad has worked for American companies since 2003 and applied for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) in April 2020. He’s still waiting for an answer.
In a series of text messages from his home in Kabul, he told CNN: “Feeling the worst days of my life. All the day sitting home, night-time can’t sleep properly because (in) some places Taliban started door to door searching.”
He and his family have not been out of the house since the Taliban entered the capital over the weekend, he said.Fawad sent photographs of his family to CNN. He has two young daughters.”Many of my relatives and colleagues are now trying to escape the country by any means,” he said.One of Fawad’s former employers — reached by CNN in Dubai — remembers him as a first-class worker and supported his application for a Special Immigrant Visa.But Fawad says his most recent emails and messages to the US Embassy have gone unanswered.
“I have sent three, four emails reminding them to update me, but unfortunately there is not a timeframe for that and we don’t know how long it will take,” he said in a text message. Adding: “… there is not plenty of time to wait for.”Besides being a former employee of US companies, Fawad is also a member of the Hazara Shia Muslim community, which was persecuted by the Taliban when the group was last in power.Fawad’s former employer, who we are not naming out of concern for Fawad’s security, told CNN that he was receiving multiple pleas for help from Afghans he had worked with.
