Help Refugees at Risk in the U.S. and Globally

Amid the chaotic scenes at the Kabul airport in August 2021, Hazar and Sanowbar were torn apart from their beloved daughters, which led to a heart-wrenching two-year wait for their reunion. Here is their story. 

Forced to leave 

Life was tough in Afghanistan for Hazar and his family. “They wouldn't let the girls go to school,” he recalls. But it was when the Taliban took control that he knew he had to get his family—his wife, Sanowbar, and eight children—out. "The majority of my friends and my family were working or employed by the U.S. Army," he explains. "My brother-in-law was a member of the special forces. He sent us a letter that told us that we had to get out of the country because our lives were in danger.” 

A few days later, the family found themselves at the Kabul airport, on their way to be evacuated to the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome. Hazar, Sanowbar and five of their children made it on a plane to the U.S. But in the rush of people, three of the children, daughters Sitara, Vaniya and Shahla got separated from the rest of the family and were forced to leave the area. With no way of finding them, the girls were forced to remain in Afghanistan with their grandmother, who now lived thousands of miles from their treasured family. “My other family members and friends, they all blamed me because they thought it was my choice to leave the daughters,” their father Hazar recalls sadly. “They were mad at me and made me feel like it had been on purpose.” 

Struggling to rebuild 

Hazar, Sanowbar and their remaining children received support from the IRC to help settle into their new life in Salt Lake City in the U.S., including supporting them with their rent payments for the first year. While this meant that they were safer than they would have been in Afghanistan, they desperately longed for Sitara, Vaniya and Shahla to be there with them. “Whenever I saw airplanes in the sky, I said I hope that one of the airplanes will be carrying my daughters to come here,” says Hazar. He explains that they frequently visited the IRC office and received regular updates via email about his daughters. 

Pedro, an immigration and legal representative was supporting the the family's case from the IRC office in Utah. In March 2022 he submitted a petition to CARE, a U.S. government-run program for reunification. Determined to push the case forward, he’d tell himself: “I don't care what I have to do, but I'm going to help these girls be with their family.” “Sometimes at 5:00 o'clock in the morning I would be emailing people back and forth for two hours until my kids woke up,” Pedro adds. “Then when my kids were awake, I'm not kidding, I’d be changing a diaper while trying to email someone at the State Department about this case.” 

Receiving good news 

Finally, after a year and nine months, Pedro’s team received a call in May 2023 to inform them that Hazar and Sanowbar’s girls were on their way to the U.S. They would soon get to hold them in their arms again. With a smile, Hazar recalls how he took a wrong turn and got lost while driving to the airport because he was so excited to meet his daughters. “And I’d put some flowers in my younger daughter’s car seat for her to see when they got in the car for us to drive them back home,” he remembers. “But we were in such a rush that we forgot to bring the car seat and the flowers as well.” 

Reuniting at last 

With the IRC’s support, the family reunited through the CARE program, which was specifically designed for Afghans separated at Kabul airport. However, options for separated families in different circumstances are extremely limited. This has resulted in thousands of Afghans enduring ongoing anguish and trauma as they wait to be reunited with loved ones. “It's very important to be with family,” Sanowbar asserts. “When our daughters were apart from us we were counting the days, we couldn't be relaxed, we were always in this deep anxiety thinking ‘Where are they and what are they doing?’ And now they are here, we’ve just lost track of time and we are not anxious anymore.” 

Looking ahead, Hazar and Sanowbar have a profound wish for their children’s future. They hope that all their kids will complete their education and have abundant opportunities in life. This desire is particularly strong for their daughters, who were previously unable to attend school. “They were away from school for two years,” says Hazar, “so seeing them enroll and go now makes me very, very happy.” 

How is the IRC helping Afghan families? 

In the U.S., the International Rescue Committee plays a vital role in providing resettlement and integration services for refugees, asylum-seekers, and humanitarian parolees, including those from Afghanistan. In 2021 alone, the IRC resettled more than 11,000 Afghan refugees in the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome, and in 2022, the IRC resettled 18,000 Afghans. This initiative not only offers immediate aid when Afghans arrive in U.S. communities but also extends long-term support for integration and employment. 

We provide a wide range of resettlement and integration services tailored to meet the unique needs of refugees, asylum seekers and humanitarian parolees. These services encompass crucial aspects such as housing, facilitating school enrollment for children, providing English language and job training classes for adults and connecting them with essential medical services. Sadly, despite these efforts many Afghan families in the U.S. face significant challenges when it comes to successful integration, due to the absence of a clear pathway to permanent residency or citizenship. This unfortunate reality hampers their ability to reunite with family members and exacerbates existing backlogs within the immigration system. Despite meeting the definition of a refugee, these Afghans find themselves under a cloud of legal uncertainty. To address this pressing issue, the IRC is actively advocating for the passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act. This legislation aims to provide stability and support to more families by offering a sense of security and belonging, which can hopefully foster their successful integration into American society. 

“Since the 2021 evacuation, Afghan humanitarian parolees have become a part of the rich cultural and economic fabric of America,” says Hans, the IRC’s senior vice president for resettlement, asylum and integration. “However, their success and future remains in limbo as long as they do not have a clear pathway to permanent status. The Afghan Adjustment Act must be passed to ensure Afghan humanitarian parolees are able to continue rebuilding their lives and have the opportunity to reunite with their families.” 

How can you help? 

Tell Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act today. 

You can also continue your support by encouraging your peers to welcome refugees as valuable members of our society. You can also help newcomers by volunteering with the IRC’s resettlement offices, becoming an English tutor, a community sponsor, a mentor to a family, donating furniture and household items, teaching other people about the valuable contributions of refugees, urging your elected officials to support refugee resettlement, and employing or encouraging local businesses to employ refugees. Thank you for your support! 

Imagine fleeing your home when it becomes no longer safe to live, traveling thousands of miles by motorcycle, boat, bus, and on foot through several countries and a notoriously dangerous jungle, only to be told to turn around and go back.People arriving at the U.S. border have the legal right to request asylum without being criminalized or turned away. Yet Title 42 had been used to justify over 2.5 million expulsions since March 2020 despite U.S. legal obligations under international and domestic law to provide all asylum-seekers with the right to seek safety.  

Many of these asylum seekers are making the dangerous trek from South America and Caribbean countries such as Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela. Ivan is one of the millions of Venezuelans who have tried to resettle in the Americas. Because of the challenges he and his family faced, Ivan and his younger brother, Alexander, made the difficult decision to embark on the journey to the U.S.-Mexico border. Their hopes rested on seeking asylum in the United States and finding new opportunities for work. 

The harrowing journey  

Ivan and his brother found themselves in a dangerous situation when they crossed through the jungle at the Panama-Colombia border, known as the Darién Gap. It is notorious for its dense, mountainous terrain, wildlife, and insects, as well as for the crimes committed against vulnerable people, including women and children.  

After their harrowing trek through the Panama jungle, Ivan and his brother made their way up to Mexico. However, on the day they entered Mexico, in October 2022, they found the U.S. and Mexican officials expelling Venezuelans arriving at the border. They attempted to press on in their journey to safety. But soon after, they came across cartels in one of the cities bordering North East Mexico and were forced to spend around $500 to continue on to the border. This encounter almost became Ivan’s breaking point to return to Venezuela. 

Stranded 

But at the border, they found hope. Ivan and his brother were connected with a pastor who runs an IRC-supported shelter. “I trust God a lot, and I ask my God to give me peace and give me perseverance. The contact was through the pastor…we came by bus and got there. He was already waiting for us.” 

Ivan is deeply grateful that they have access to a shelter and food—basic necessities that are lacking for so many who are seeking asylum. They have also found temporary restaurant work through the shelter. “The most common needs are to have a place to sleep and rest. Because not everyone has the privilege of being in a shelter where they give him three meals… There are people outside who do not have a shelter, who don't have anything to eat, not even once a day. And it's cold right now.”  

While Ivan’s brother was able to make an appointment to seek asylum using a new U.S. government smartphone application, CBP One, Ivan has had difficulty securing an appointment slot—a problem shared by many asylum seekers at the border. Not only that, but President Biden proposed a new policy that would bar asylum-seekers who crossed through another country on their way to the southern border, unless they had previously applied for (and been denied) asylum in the country of transit. This policy will make it even more challenging for people like Ivan, especially with the added threats of violence, kidnapping, and extortion in Ciudad Juárez.  

While Ivan waits to secure an appointment, he has appreciated the counselling and psychosocial support he’s received from IRC staff. The activities at the shelter have provided a welcome distraction, helping him keep his mind off of the long waiting process. Notably, Ivan participated in the IRC's masculinity group sessions, which provide a safe space for men to express their emotions without fear of being judged through dialogue circles and playful activities.  Participating in the group helped Ivan rest and sleep better at night. The groups also help men, who are rarely accustomed to seeking help for their mental health, to redefine what it means to be strong.  

The IRC’s support 

As Mexico experiences unprecedented displacement, the IRC provides critical support to asylum seekers like Ivan and his brother on both sides of the U.S. southern border. Beyond the masculinities groups sessions, the IRC’s response includes creating physical and emotional safe spaces for women, girls, children and members of the LGBTQ+ community.   

The IRC also promotes access to trustworthy and up-to-date information through the digital platform InfoDigna. The site connects migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, as they pass through Mexico, with moderators that will follow up on their cases, and orient them to service providers according to their needs. 

How can you help? 

You can continue your support by encouraging your peers to welcome refugees as valuable members of our society. You can also help newcomers by volunteering with the IRC’s resettlement offices, becoming an English tutor, a community sponsor, a mentor to a family, donating furniture and household items, teaching other people about the valuable contributions of refugees, urging your elected officials to support refugee resettlement, and employing or encouraging local businesses to employ refugees. Thank you for your support! 

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