Afghan woman’s nightmare visa wait over after dash through Taliban checkpoints to Kabul Airport

Afghan woman *Fatimah is in the air and flying to her husband in Adelaide after being forced into hiding when the Taliban accused her of being an American spy.

Shaken but safe, an Adelaide man’s Afghan wife *Fatimah – who’s been hiding from the Taliban in Kabul – is on her way home following a desperate race to evacuate from Afghanistan before August 31.

Mohammad’s wife boarded an Australian evacuation flight from Afghanistan on Tuesday after being granted an emergency humanitarian visa by the Australian Government.

Once she lands in Australia, the childhood sweethearts will be reunited after 14 days of quarantine.

“She is my soulmate and I was never going to give up,” said sleepless Mohammad, 28, from Blair Athol. The couple do not want to be identified for safety reasons and Fatimah is not her real name.

“She is so relieved, emotionally drained and very sad for all those left behind, especially the women,” he said.

Fatimah wearing a burqa hiding from the Taliban in a Kabul apartment after being accused of being an American spy. Picture: Supplied

Adelaide man Mohammed and wife Fatimah in Pakistan, where they were married. Picture: Supplied

The Advertiser on Saturday reported Fatimah is a minority Muslim student studying at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul and a volunteer English teacher and interpreter for an international student-led peace group.

Days before the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, she said she was accused of being an “American spy” and her life threatened. Since then, Mohammad has, with the help of local federal politicians, been lobbying the government for the fast-tracking of his wife’s spousal visa application – a process that can take up to five years.

Mohammad said Fatimah spent Sunday and Monday fighting her way through thousands of desperate Afghans outside the Kabul International Airport’s perimeter – at times pushed and squeezed by the surging crowd as they compete to secure a spot on the last mercy flights out of the country.

“We want to say a huge thank you to the Australian Government and the Australian people for helping us and all the Afghans at risk,” he said.

Afghan families board a rescue flight from Kabul to Australia.

Soldiers at Kabul airport.

He particularly wanted to thank ‘Sarah’ – the “angel” Consular Emergency Centre helpline staffer: “We will be writing a long letter of thanks to Sarah.”

Mohammad’s federal Labor MP, Steve Georganas, who has been lobbying the Immigration Minister on his behalf said he was “grateful” the couple will be safe, together, but that “there are many more in desperate need of assistance”.

SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young’s office also assisted the couple. Ms Hanson Young said: “Getting her out of there has helped save her life. It is critical that her visa is now fast tracked by the government, so she can start her new life with Mohammad here in Adelaide.”

Mohammad said his wife has been placed on a temporary protection visa while her spousal visa was being processed.

He is a permanent Australian resident who fled the Taliban from Afghanistan in 2012. The couple, who were childhood neighbours in Afghanistan, were engaged in 2019 and married in January.

*Not her real name