Afghans push through snowy Alps toward new lives in Europe

2 years ago 262

CLAVIERE – When termination attackers and gunmen massacred crowds flocking to Kabul's airport, they besides severed the flight way that Ali Rezaie hoped would instrumentality him to a caller beingness abroad, acold from the Taliban and their suspicions of well-educated, middle-class radical who worked with foreigners successful Afghanistan.

In the chaos, Rezaie couldn't scope the airdrome wherever flight aft flight took disconnected without him. The 27-year-old was near with nary prime but to instrumentality his aboriginal into his ain leathery hands. Like galore different Afghans, helium resolved to find different mode retired and embarked connected a forbidding travel of thousands of kilometers to Europe, ample parts of it connected foot.

More than 3 months later, Rezaie's odyssey done 5 countries has carried him precocious into the French-Italian Alps, wherever helium is pushing done knee-deep snowfall to evade borderline guards, with a writer from The Associated Press successful tow.

The Afghan exodus that immoderate feared would flood Europe with migrants aft the Taliban swept to powerfulness hasn't materialized. And amid the toothy Alpine crags bristling with icicles, it rapidly becomes evident why: Only the hardiest, astir driven and astir resourceful exiles marque it this far.

Ahead of Rezaie successful the snowscape is the French border, unmarked but guarded astir the timepiece by constabulary who adjacent done thermal binoculars for vigor signatures. Rezaie's companion, different Afghan bearing scars from a termination bombing that prompted him to flee, had already tried — and failed — to scope France via this wintry route.

So the Afghans beforehand carefully. They intermission to perceive for sounds successful the frozen silence, to consult a representation connected Rezaie’s telephone earlier the chill kills its artillery and to munch connected jam-filled croissants they bought successful the frontier colony of Claviere successful Italy. If caught by French guards patrolling the borderline connected foot, ski-bikes and successful vans, Italy is wherever they'll beryllium forced to return.

The Taliban takeover and the swift illness of Afghanistan's system has sent radical streaming illegally into neighboring Iran, which is often the archetypal stepping chromatic for Afghans — including Rezaie — who propulsion connected into the European Union.

Afghans are present connected people to overtake Syrians arsenic Europe's starring asylum-seekers successful 2021. Internal EU reporting connected migration trends shows that much than 80,000 Afghans applied for asylum done November. That's a surge of 96% implicit the aforesaid span past year, and the summation was partially driven by the evacuations from Kabul airport.

Rezaie, from Herat successful occidental Afghanistan, says helium traveled to Kabul successful hunt of a formation but past doubled backmost aft the termination weaponry and weapon onslaught successful the waning days of the airlift. He believes helium would person been killed had helium stayed successful Afghanistan due to the fact that of enactment helium did with overseas assistance groups.

So helium emptied retired his savings, borrowed wealth and near down his printing company, friends and comfy life.

The quest took him archetypal to Iran and Turkey, past onward by vessel and for 25 days connected ft into Greece. Next came Italy and past the French border.

Rezaie figures that crossing it volition beryllium easy, compared to each he's been through. But it's easier inactive for the European vacationers helium abruptly encounters connected a skis tally that crosses his upland path. They zoom past, paying him nary heed, not having to interest astir constabulary patrols.

Feeling conspicuous connected the manicured slope, Rezaie is struck by however sharply their carefree joyousness contrasts with his urgent request to get backmost successful the camouflage of trees.

“Some radical spell down happy,” helium says, lungs heaving successful the bladed air. “Other radical spell up sad.”

By uncovering paths heavy into Europe, Rezaie and different migrants connection anticipation to those definite to follow. Their cognition astir the obstacles, their contacts and their question tips volition trickle backmost to Afghanistan. Migrants attempting the Alpine crossing stock telephone maps with GPS markers pointing the way.

Rezaie is aiming for the fortified French municipality of Briancon. Sayed and Mortaza, cousins and some 16, passed done Briancon hours earlier. They, too, fled successful the days aft Kabul fell and traveled done Iran to Turkey. From there, they were smuggled aboard a cramped vessel to Italy, a brutal six-day voyage that near them excessively anemic to stand.

Caught astatine the French border, they were allowed to proceed due to the fact that they are minors. Seven big Afghans they crossed with were sent back.

The Taliban takeover scattered Sayed's family. His begetter and older member worked arsenic constabulary officers. They've fled, and Sayed thinks they're hiding successful Pakistan. Without their salaries, Sayed and his parent had nary income, truthful they left, too. She is staying with a sister successful Iran. He's aiming for Germany.

“Maybe Dortmund, due to the fact that I similar Dortmund shot club," helium said. "We conscionable privation to escape.”

Others who near agelong earlier the Taliban takeover accidental they nary longer anticipation to return.

“It’s finished for america now, for everyone who is successful Europe,” said Abdul Almazai, 26, who near Afghanistan arsenic a teenager. Turned distant astatine the French borderline with 8 different Afghans, helium planned to effort again.

“We person crossed truthful galore mountains,” helium said. “I person to marque my future."

Aid workers interest that Afghans much accustomed to mountains and winter's perils are taking riskier routes done the snowfall than migrants from warmer climes.

“They are confident, and sometimes being assured is not helpful,” said Luca Guglielmetto, a unpaid idiosyncratic astatine a refuge connected the Italian broadside that equips migrants with lukewarm apparel and boots for the crossing.

With acheronian falling, the artillery connected Rezaie's telephone dies. He and his companion forge connected done the snow.

Rare are those who negociate to transverse connected their archetypal attempt. Rezaie pulled disconnected that feat and glowed with pridefulness the adjacent greeting arsenic helium tucked into meal astatine a refuge for migrants successful Briancon.

He sent a video of himself wading done snowfall to his parent and member successful Iran.

He has his sights acceptable connected Germany. But helium hopes 1 time to spell home.

“I had a car. I had a job, work.” helium said. “I had a bully life.”

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Follow AP’s planetary migration sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/migration

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