From Kabul to “Sevastopol”
The rapid takeover of power in Afghanistan by the Taliban (an organization recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia) has led to a panic escape by those with a new regime death or violence. These are those who have worked with foreigners (especially the United States and Western countries), feminists, and progressive community activists. Some are fleeing Russia – and the exodus has already taken place in the spring and summer.
Members of the Afghan diaspora told MK when and how it happened.
Photo: AP
Diaspora officials refrain from commenting – and they can be understood: if the Russian Foreign Ministry does not condemn the Taliban as terrorists (and by law they are exactly that, and even the name of the organization is banned in the Russian Federation), but at least relations with them, then the diaspora – ordered Allah himself. We will also be waiting for official comments, but for now you can contact the Afghans who trade at the Sevastopol Hotel near Kakhovskaya Metro Station for details. The “seat” of the diaspora has been located there for almost thirty years – since the Democratic Party's supporters and President Najibullah arrived in Russia in 1992. He lost an unequal battle with the Mujahideen of the time.
“My cousin and his family flew to Moscow two months ago,” says one of the vendors (due to the instability of the situation, members of the diaspora asked not to give their names). – He worked as a translator for Americans, Americans promised to give a visa for several years, but they started pulling. When they announced that the Americans were leaving, he realized that he needed to fly anywhere. Save yourself and your family. Thanks to that, thanks to friends from various departments, we managed to turn it into an invitation to Russia. It was hard and expensive to get there because of the covid, we flew with a few transfers. There are five of them – my brother, wife and three children, almost all my savings had to be paid for tickets. They sold a car in Kabul and brought the money with them. He is now relinquishing his Russian license to drive a truck – he is a good driver. Wife? No, my wife does not work, it is not accepted and you have to sit with the children.
According to the partner “MK”, there are many such people who look to the future, who came to Russia because there are relatives or friends, and simply did not apply to the West. Everyone has their own story – how they got invitations and permission to come, how they sold things and left their homes (usually with relatives who stayed) and established life. The ancient Moscow diasporas went through this thirty years ago, the current generation is going through it now.
Photo: Mikhail Kovalev
“Finding a job is harder now than it was thirty years ago,” two old Sevastopol lovers agreed at once. – After that, citizenship of the USSR and Russia was formally demanded – but no one in the markets was afraid of that. Good man, if you know how to work – come. There were their own questions: national, for example. For example, there were people in the markets … from those “Afghans” who are veterans of hostilities. And in general, of course, they had no complaints about us: the war was with the Mujahideen, not with the legitimate government of the republic. But there were traumatized people, nervous. And if they “kept” a point, it was better not to argue and leave. And now everything is simpler with the national problem, but there are many formalities: you need citizenship, a temporary residence permit or a patent. Migration centers are a terrible “conveyor belt”.
Moscow Afghans try to help their compatriots with work (especially because they are often direct relatives). However, the “informal” employment sector is shrinking: more and more industries are now being “digitized” through aggregators and applications. For example, delivery of goods and taxis: some members of the diaspora (as well as tsarist officers in Paris after the revolution) work as drivers, but such work is only available with a Russian driver's license. A Russian passport is extremely desirable – otherwise it is unstable, you know. Here, however, the problems of Afghans (it doesn't matter – Pashtuns, Tajiks or Uzbeks) are combined with the problems of all migrant workers.
The newcomer – who was in Kabul at the beginning of the year – was also seen in Sevastopol. It is true that he does not speak Russian, he had to communicate in English. The 30-year-old refrigeration technician also worked for the US embassy — and had “approval,” albeit at a low level. In April, he was informed that he needed to flee, but because he knew the stories of many acquaintances who were unable to obtain permission to leave for the West, he immediately contacted his uncle in Moscow. And in June, he managed to get to Russia. He has no family, but he, a social man, has already met the girl: she is a first-high school student, originally from Kandahar, and now that the Taliban has returned, she is not going to her homeland.
– We only want one thing – for Russia to treat us like ordinary migrants, “says partner” MK “. – There is no need for a 'special approach' – on the contrary, it is dangerous: Russia is trying to build relations with the new regime, and that will not bring us any benefits.