“We fled the Taliban but it’s impossible to start a new life in the UK”

Her family managed to escape Afghanistan the next day with only the clothes she was wearing.

“I want to study here too, but I can’t,” she said. “They say I need documents, but I couldn’t bring them with me. We came suddenly. I thought I would make a good doctor, I only had a few years [of training] left.”

Instead of getting a college degree, Najib was looking for a job, but when she visited an employment agency, she was told to improve her English. He is now taking classes at the Red Cross.

“The fact that Afghans are facing barriers and obstacles is a reflection of the government’s belief that it must make it as difficult as possible for refugees, rather than extending a hand of compassion and accepting refugees who are clearly fleeing persecution, death threats, potential torture, oppression ,” Mr. Soloman said.

“Many adults are still unable to fully engage. Many are still in temporary accommodation and have not yet received biometric permanent residence, which is a barrier to accepting job offers,” added Genevieve Caston, UK Program Manager at NGO Rescue. “They are very motivated to work, but when they get an offer, the employer cannot check their right to work in the UK.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “It is completely ridiculous to claim that we are creating ‘barriers to a normal life’ for Afghans in the UK when we have a massive package ready to take in up to 20,000 people in need through the Afghan Resettlement Scheme. .”

Life in uncertainty

Mr Soloman said those living in “cramped hotels” were insecure and experiencing “huge problems with depression, anxiety and high levels of stress”.

Raakin said that while he’s grateful to have his own room, there are “a lot of things” refugees can’t do in a hotel. “If you have someone who wants to meet you, you have to give their information to the hotel staff [to approve]. You can’t cook. You can’t apply for a driver’s license because you don’t have a permanent residence,” he said.

Meanwhile, Najiba, who has also been living in cheap hotels for a year, said that the uncertainty of life has taken a toll on the health of her parents, who suffer from depression and poor memory. They are so sick that they don’t leave the inside of their room, she said.

“We lived happily in Afghanistan, we had everything. We cooked different Afghan food, we had guests every day, we cooked for them,” she said.

Khan, who also worked as a British interpreter, is grateful to the British Army for evacuating him, but said:[The future] it’s really hard to think. We still live in the hotel as guests.”