Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban hope for new lives in Australia

One Afghan man waded through waist-deep sewage for six hours with his wife and three small girls to reach Kabul airport and a chance at life away from the Taliban in Australia.

Hundreds of Australian visa holders are stuck in Afghanistan, still clinging to hope and a piece of paper that promises them safe passage out.

“Every day I dread looking at the messages on my phone, begging to know when that help will come,” said Dr Kay Danes, who has been working around the clock with her team of lawyers and humanitarian advocates to get 1000 people so far out of Afghanistan.

Since the official airport evacuations concluded in Kabul, the Australian Government has “boasted about doing a great job,” Dr Danes said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia managed to evacuate 4100 people from Kabul after it fell to the Taliban, including hundreds destined for other nations and the evacuation mission had reached its conclusion.

Kabul airport last month.

Dr Danes said the mission was far from over and urged the Government to appoint her and colleague, Afghan veteran and lawyer Glenn Kolomeitz as special envoys “so we can get the job done”.

“I see the US evacuation taking people out of danger in the droves and have to explain to Australian visa holders why our Government is incapable of doing the same,” Dr Danes said.

“It seems they won’t even entertain the idea of picking up the phone and calling the Taliban, who said they would happily assist these evacuations.”

Since the official airport evacuations concluded in Kabul, the Taliban have been going door-to-door searching for ADF interpreters, personnel and Australian Visa holders.

Those people who helped the Australian Government during the Afghan war were promised protection at its conclusion. The Australian Government has issued e-Visas en masse but has yet to deliver on the promise of repatriation.

“Our team have since written to foreign governments neighbouring Afghanistan seeking to engage their assistance,” Dr Danes said.

“If the Australian Government won’t help these families, then surely someone will? If they are left in Afghanistan, then they face torture and execution.

“I dare not think about what is likely to happen to their children.”

Afghanistan veteran and director of GAP Legal Services, Glenn Kolomeitz, said: “The message this sends to the world is damaging to Australia’s reputation as a reliable humanitarian partner.

“These families are very important to us … they all put their lives at considerable risk and trusted our Government to help them in their hour of need, just as they helped our Government when it needed them. Where is that help now?’’

Australian defence forces left Afghanistan without ceremony 20 years after the War on Terror began.

Desperate scramble for shot at freedom

An Afghan man waded through waist-deep sewage for six hours with his wife and three small girls to reach Kabul airport and a chance at life away from the Taliban.

Now safe in Australia, Sammaad — who “worked for the enemy” in the eyes of the Taliban — knew that if he stayed in his homeland he would be killed.

Worse were his fears of what would become of his wife and daughters, aged six, four and two, under Sharia Law.

Sammaad said he is relieved his wife and children are safe but fears for his relatives still in Kabul. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Sammaad, whose last name is omitted to protect his family members left behind, told The Sunday Telegraph he will be eternally grateful to Australia for giving his family a chance at a peaceful, free life.

He is now in Campbelltown and will need to undergo resettlement processes, as well as get a visa.

The 36-year-old was granted a temporary safe haven visa by the Australian Government.

“These are a quick-fix visa with a valid life of three months and with severe restrictions and conditions imposed,” said his lawyer, former Army officer Glenn Kolomeitz said.

“He is entitled to a permanent visa due to his work for Australia. The temporary visa got him and his family out of Afghanistan and into Australia but we now need to work on getting him permanency and certainty through the appropriate class of visa.”

Sammaad said he is relieved his wife, 27, and children are safe but fears for his relatives still in Kabul.

“I have a lot of worries and concerns. I’m very happy to come and thankful for you people, Australian people and government, you saved my life and my wife especially and my three daughters, they are safe in a good country with a bright future for my children,” he said.

“But I haven’t had a good sleep just because of my family still in my home country.”

He said the Taliban had already questioned his father. Their gunmen had put markings on doors of people they were hunting for and believed had been working for the Coalition.

“If I couldn’t come here and I stayed there I am sure one day the Taliban will find me. You work for the foreigners, then they will kill me. The Taliban in Afghanistan is not merciful.”

News spread quickly that the Taliban were trying to capture all districts and provinces “step by step” but intelligence suggested it would take two months.

“That was wrong, it took one week,” Sammaad said. “We knew we had to get to the airport but the Taliban had checkpoints every way, all with ammunition. They were shooting people in the legs and in the chest. Dead bodies lay on the streets.

“At the airport there were US military coalition forces inside but on the outside of the gates the Taliban. It was very important to find a way to get inside.”

The father of three received information there was a route that wasn’t being monitored but it meant wading through a drain full of sewage.

Sammaad his wife and their three daughters are now seeking permanent settlement in Australia. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“I made the decision and told my brothers they have to come with me. I put my children on my shoulders, I don’t put them in the water full of germs. It took more than six hours,” he said.

“My three brothers came with me and helped me and we found Australian soldiers and explained who I am and what I did and they saw our documents so we were able to leave.”

Sammaad not only fears the fate of his family left behind but for all women in Afghanistan.

“I was small, six or seven when the Taliban (first) came, I didn’t know their rules. But now when I am married and have children, when they come now and I see the bad rules on women.

“Women can’t study all the classes in school, the ones working in organisations, now they tell all of them you cannot come to their duties. There is much worse.”

Mr Kolomeitz and his team from GAP Veteran & Legal Services have rescued 1000 people like Sammaad.

The group of humanitarian advocates and lawyers set in motion a plan to rescue hundreds of Australian visa holders from Afghanistan in the lead-up to the August 31 deadline.

Team member Grace Tosic, said it was soon obvious the situation in Afghanistan was desperate as tens of thousands of Afghans began flooding the borders in all directions.

“Organising all the biodata was critical to our operation. Without it there was no way the Australian Government could see so quickly what we were seeing about all the individuals and their families we were trying to help,” she said.

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]