Afghan Refugee Grateful to CCDBR for Assistance

Despair engulfed “Ahmad” as he approached Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. 

The elation he had experienced only minutes earlier when he successfully persuaded a taxi driver to drive though a Taliban checkpoint was usurped with a sense of hopeless, a feeling that despite all of his efforts and the efforts of others his dream of fleeing from what he labeled “hell” was slipping away.

“When I get to the airport it was very crowded and there were many, many people,” Ahmad said. “I was thinking I would not be able to make it.”

Ahmad’s odyssey to freedom is one of a growing number of successful evacuations from Afghanistan. But tens of thousands, including some Americans, remain behind, hoping to flee a country that only recently fell under Taliban control in the wake of President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw all American troops by Aug. 31. Biden’s decision, which was opposed by the Pentagon, led to the collapse of the Afghan army, paved the way for Taliban control and effectively ended a 20-year war, a time in which the Afghan economy was moving to prosperity and women, overcoming centuries of oppression, were welcomed into classrooms and the work force. 

Ahmad’s own journey, one in which he received assistance from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, initially began Aug. 15 when Taliban forces overthrew the Afghan government. As a former employee of the United States military forces and an official of the former Afghan government, Ahmad understood death was certain if he remained in Afghanistan.

On the morning of the Taliban takeover, Ahmad, a government employee at the time, was in his office. Later that afternoon he started collecting his documents from his old computer, as well as other documents such as his passport and identity cards.

Ahmad, who had contracted with the U.S. State Department in Afghanistan on two separate occasions as an interpreter, called his contact, Tony Matteson who lives in Bossier City for assistance. Matteson eventually contacted Congressman Mike Johnson and the process began. 

But by the night of Aug. 26, Ahmad knew he could wait no longer and  told Matteson he was going to the airport to essentially make a run for it.

“I told him ‘I can’t advise you what to do but if that’s what you need to do, do it,” Matteson said. 

“It was a very hard decision. I really jeopardized my life by going to the airport but I didn’t have any other choice,” he said. 

Ahmad left his home at 8 p.m., and on the way to the airport encountered a Taliban checkpoint. Taliban military members were searching every car and scrutinizing each individual’s documents. 

“So they would know I have worked for the U.S. military forces and I was an employee of the former government,” Ahmad said. “It is really very, very dangerous for me and I knew if they started searching, I would not be alive.”

He pleaded with the taxi driver, who was his neighbor, to run through the checkpoint. The driver initially balked, citing the obvious danger, but eventually consented. As it turns out running through the checkpoint was not so difficult.

“When he drove and did not stop it was very good and I got really happy and delighted,” Ahmad said. 

He spent the night outside of the gates at the airport, his mind racing with anxiety and fear but early the following morning he was able to board a plane.  Once nestled in, the relief was overwhelming as he took one final look at his home country.

“Once I was inside the airport I realized I got out the hell and was going to leave there,” he said. “I felt I made it.”

His joy was shared by the other passengers, who enthusiastically clapped as the aircraft continued to climb, leaving the chaos of a country under siege.

Ahmad went to Spain for five days before settling in El Paso, Texas and eventually Bossier City.

Catholic Charities, through its refugee resettlement program, has become a leader in assisting refugees like Ahmad and many others settle into their new environments. Lisa Lee, director of CCDBR’s Refugee and Resettlement Program, said the agency has already  provided assistance for several Afghan refugees in the Baton Rouge area.

The agency is approved to resettle up to 49 individuals, and Lee said the majority of those who have already arrived are staying in the Baton Rouge area. 

Lee said CCDBR is contracted with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for resettlement. The contract calls for Catholic Charities to prepare a furnished apartment, or at least a hotel room, culturally appropriate food for a week and a culturally appropriate meal when a refugee or family arrives.

The agency will also coordinate interpreters if needed.

“USCCB tries to give as much time possible but sometimes it’s less than 24 hours,” said Lee.

Carol Spruell, CCDBR director of administration, stressed the refugees are required to be vaccinated and vetted. They will also receive limited financial assistance for up to eight months,

They are also required to take the first job that is offered to them.

“We do our best to make sure the job is going to be the best fit for them, for their skill, their location,” said Lee, who noted CCDBR has a job specialist who assists in the placement process.

She said two Afghan refugees have been placed in jobs in the past few weeks.

Perhaps not surprising Ahmad has encountered several challenges adjusting to a life and culture far removed from which he is accustomed, although, with a smile, he said he was eagerly anticipating his first foray to a Mexican restaurant. 

His mind and heart, however, remain halfway around the globe as he seeks a solution to evacuate his mother and four siblings to join him. For now, Ahmad said his family must remain indoors for their own safety, as the Taliban government is tracking down and killing family members of former government employees who have fled. 

Ahmad’s father was killed by the Taliban in 2007.

“I miss home and think about home,” Ahmad said. “My family is happy I made it but I am really worried about them. That is my biggest concern; I left family behind.”

Ahmad is also disturbed by the continued downfall of his homeland, saying security is sketchy and the economy tanking.

“For two decades we gained knowledge, we were educated, and now everything is gone,” he said. “People are really suffering from bad situations. All of the women and men who are educated are hiding at home.”

Although challenges await, Ahmad is thrilled to be safe and grateful for Catholic Charities.

“They are helping out, supporting and in touch,” his thoughts in a faraway place, where the people he loves most remain in peril.