Zaki Husseini, 19, became the first asylum seeker that came in 2015 to return to Finland after being deported. He got in touch with Migrant Tales a day after he was deported to Kabul. Thanks to Hussain Kazemian, we were able to get a glimpse of his ordeal and bad luck. A day after he was forced to return to Afghanistan on July 4 with 11 other asylum seekers, the supreme district court ruled against his deportation.
Below is the interview Kazemian did of Husseini on July 4:
Read the full story here.
Contrary to those grim days in Kabul, Husseini not only returned to his new home country but got a work permit.
“I am glad to come back to Finland again,” he said. “I spoke Finnish at Finnish Embassy of Kabul and mentioned to them my life, friends, job and education I had in Finland. I knew and believed that I’d return back to Finland.”
Husseini said that during his stay in Kabul, he heard suicide explosions every day from the radio, television, social media, people and everywhere.
“I felt there’s no hope to live in the capital of the country,” he continued. “The Taliban and ISIS are killing Afghan citizens and in turn, the Afghan government cannot protect its citizens. Many people are displaced and wandering about. This is growing every day in Afghanistan’s main city Kabul.”
Husseini admits that he was lucky to return back to Finland. Even so, nobody appears to care for the Afghans who are suffering in Afghanistan and in Finland.
“Please [Finnish Immigration Service] Migri have a realistic view,” he said. “Afghanistan is not a safe country.”
Husseini is now employed in the western Finnish city of Loimaa but he worries a lot about the plight of his countrymen.
“What about those [Afghans] that are still waiting for their residence permits,” he said. “Why won’t Migri try to make their lives easier by giving them a work permit, family reunification, and visas to remain in the country.”
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
The latest UNAMA report about Afghanistan’s security situation and the casualties of the ongoing war in the first six months of 2017 doesn’t paint a pretty picture about the security situation in that country.
The report states:
“The number of civilians killed and injured in the Afghanistan conflict during the first six months of 2017 persisted at the same record high levels as last year, according to a mid-year report from the United Nations. Extreme harm to civilians continued amid a worsening toll from suicide attacks, and a greater impact on women and children.
“The number of civilians killed and injured in the Afghanistan conflict during the first six months of 2017 persisted at the same record high levels as last year, according to a mid-year report from the United Nations. Extreme harm to civilians continued amid a worsening toll from suicide attacks, and a greater impact on women and children.
A total of 1,662 civilian deaths were confirmed between 1 January and 30 June – an increase of two per cent on the same period last year, according to figures from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The number of civilians injured in the same period fell 1% to 3,581.
The human cost of this ugly war in Afghanistan – loss of life, destruction and immense suffering – is far too high,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA. “The continued use of indiscriminate, disproportionate and illegal improvised explosive devices is particularly appalling and must immediately stop.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein gives a bleak view of the situation as well:
“Many Afghan civilians are suffering psychological trauma, having lost family and friends, and are living in fear knowing the risks they face as they go about their daily lives. Many more have been forced from their homes and suffered lasting damage to their health, education and livelihoods. The continuing national tragedy of Afghanistan must not be overlooked.”
UN figures show that since January 2009, more than 26,500 civilians have died and just under 49,000 have been injured as a result of armed conflict in the country.
The question we should ask Migri is what kind of information does it need to change its policy that alleges that Afghanistan is a safe country.
Afghanistan isn’t safe and nobody should be deported there.