– Physically we are here, but our thoughts and hearts are in Afghanistan. The children are there, and the children are everything to us, says Mohammad. Now both he and his wife are in safe surroundings in Volda in Sunnmøre. But it is not the son and daughter aged 23 and 26. – After we were refused by the UDI, we have not been able to sleep or eat properly. We think about the family and the children, says Mohammad. To understand more, we have to go back to August 2021. The closest Mohammad and Shakiba get to their children is through pictures. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Hevder Nato came with permission The father then worked for Nato at the military airport in the capital Kabul. But then life was turned upside down. The Taliban took over the capital, and Mohammad had to flee wherever he was. Anyone associated with NATO is seen as an enemy. In October 2021, he came to Norway. In March 2022, he was given a place to live in Volda. An application was then made for family reunification. Then a long time passed. In January 2023, he received the message: his wife can come, but not the children. They filed a complaint, but UDI stood its ground. The case is now being processed by UNE. Mohammad claims that he received a promise from NATO that his family would also receive a residence permit in the country in which he was to receive asylum. news has spoken to several Afghan refugees in Volda who also worked for NATO, and they also claim that they received a promise that that the families would be allowed to follow. The agreement must have come orally, not in writing. Mohammad says he would never have fled without his family if he knew it wasn’t true. Mohammad and Shakiba together with three other Afghan refugees who also worked for Nato. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news news has asked Nato whether they have given promises that the families of the workers would be allowed to move with them to the country they fled to. They have not given a clear answer to that. “As an international organization, NATO does not grant asylum or approve visa applications,” they write. Read the full answer here: Questions and answers from Nato news asked the following question: Did those who worked for Nato in Afghanistan receive a promise that their families could flee with them from Afghanistan? What do you think when you hear about the situation several ex-NATO workers are in now? Will you do something to help them? If yes: What? If no: Why not? This is NATO’s response: NATO allies and partners have played an important role in helping to evacuate and resettle Afghans at risk, including those supporting NATO’s mission in Afghanistan. In 2021, we saw one of the largest air operations in history. In the space of two weeks, around 120,000 people were flown out on hundreds of allied flights, including around 2,000 Afghans and their family members working for Nato. These individuals have been accepted by allies and partner nations for resettlement. As for further requests for evacuation support and resettlement from Afghanistan, NATO is not involved in these efforts. As an international organization, NATO does not grant asylum or approve visa applications. These are decisions for individual nations to make, according to their own laws and procedures. Says they have to live in hiding The parents talk to the siblings via video call several times a week. They say that the siblings hardly dare to leave the house, and that the daughter has become mentally ill from the situation. news has seen the doctor’s report which confirms it. Mohammad claims that the children have to live in hiding and move around often. He is also worried about his daughter in terms of forced marriage. While the wife was still in Afghanistan, she claims that the house was razed because someone wanted to find documentation related to her husband’s work for Nato and his whereabouts. Tonje Heltne Ringstad is the contact person for Mohammad and Shakiba, as well as three other Afghan refugees who worked for Nato. She says they are in the same situation as the married couple – the family is not allowed to come. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news – Too strict requirements Tonje Heltne Ringstad is the contact person for Mohammad and Shakiba. She is employed by Volda adult education. – The children are in a dangerous situation because of the father’s job in NATO, she claims and continues: – We feel that the UDI does not take any account of that. It is stated in the refusal that the situation is not unique enough. How unique does it have to be for you to bring your children here, she asks. When the rejection of family immigration came, the disappointment was great for both her and the married couple. – I know it is a terrible defeat. It’s about their whole life. Mohammad says that they are unable to think about anything but the family that is still in Afghanistan. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news And she emphasizes that the parents struggle a lot with life in Norway without the children. – There are very, very strict requirements. I personally think that the requirements are far too strict, says Ringstad. Response from UDI In an e-mail, Hilde Mikalsen, unit manager in Protection at UDI, writes why they refused the application for family immigration. – Their applications for family immigration have been rejected because the conditions for the permit they have applied for are not met. She writes that the rules state, among other things, that the applicant must be a child over the age of 18 who is supported by the household they are to be a part of. Mikalsen also adds that it takes a lot to give family immigration permits to children when they are over 21 years old. – In this case, the children are 22 and 25 years old (ed. note: the age when the case was dealt with). They are not without siblings in their home country since they have each other, and it is also not documented that they are dependent on care from their parents for medical reasons. Read the full response from UDI here Hilde Mikalsen, head of unit at UDI, writes this to news: They have had their applications for family immigration rejected because the conditions for the permit they have applied for are not met. The rules state, among other things, that the applicant must be a child over the age of 18 who is supported by the household they are to be a part of. It is also a prerequisite that the applicant must be without parents or siblings over the age of 18 in their home country, or for medical reasons be completely dependent on care from their parents in Norway. According to established administrative practice, it takes a lot to grant family immigration permits to children when they are over 21 years of age. In this case, the children are 22 and 25 years old. They are not without siblings in their home country since they have each other, and it is also not documented that they are dependent on care from their parents for medical reasons. We understand that they find it difficult to be refused, and that the parents are worried about their children. However, UDI is obliged to follow the rules for family immigration. These rules do not enable a decision to be made as to whether the applicant needs protection or not. There are separate rules for protection, and in a family immigration case it is not assessed whether the applicant has the opportunity to go to a country that has signed the UN Refugee Convention. Information about very difficult living conditions in a family immigration case will be applicable to a large number of applicants, and this cannot in itself form a basis for residence in Norway. There are different rules for protection and family immigration, and in a family immigration case it is not assessed whether the applicant needs protection under the Refugee Convention. UDI’s task is to give the applications we receive a thorough treatment. The rules are politically determined, while the UDI must ensure that the conditions are met before we grant permits. Your cases have been processed on our side, and they are now being processed at UNE. The case is now with UNE. Mohammad and Shakiba have attached documentation that their one child is struggling with his health, and needs to flee to Norway and his parents. UNE says they cannot give a statement when a case is under consideration. All Mohammad and Shakiba want is for them to be safe with their two children. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news A little hope Mohammad and Shakiba hope that they will get a positive answer from UNE, and that their daughter and son will be allowed to come to them. – Maybe there is hope, says Mohammad. They say several times that life in Norway without the family is not an option. But if they travel back to their homeland, it will not end well. – I will be killed if I do that, he says. Hi! Do you have any tips or thoughts about other matters or topics that I can look into more closely? Feel free to send me an email!
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Mohammad worked for NATO in Afghanistan – begs for the children to come to Volda and Norway – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
