Former Kiwi soldier pleads for visas for Afghan allies
Wednesday, 25 August 2021
A former New Zealand army officer is pleading for Immigration New Zealand to urgently issue visas for Afghan allies who worked alongside her in Afghanistan, and their families.
Ellen Nelson was an engineering officer in the New Zealand Defence Force deployed to Afghanistan for seven months in 2010 and 2011, and is now advocating for seven colleagues and their families she says are in imminent danger.
“Not a single one has a visa yet and if they don't have them they won't be able to get out, and if they don’t get these visas issued these people will die,” Nelson said.
“They’ve met the criteria, which was to prove that they've worked for defence. They've all done that, they've all provided verification of that.
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“All of their paperwork has been done, it's just waiting for Immigration. It’s been three full days and the window where they can be safely evacuated is closing.”
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Nelson said she has been inundated with increasingly desperate emails, phone calls and messages from Afghans who worked alongside her in the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan province.
While there, Nelson – then Captain Ellen Ford – led a team of soldiers and Afghan tradespeople working on community projects, while maintaining facilities and security of the Kiwi bases.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last week said Afghan allies would be evacuated from Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul, and the Government was prioritising “those who have the greatest security concerns, based on the fact that they have supported New Zealand efforts”.
However, in recent days Immigration NZ (INZ) confirmed it was expediting visa applications for the family member of New Zealanders, as the number eligible for evacuation grew from some 50 people to more than 250 in a week.
In a statement on Wednesday, INZ said it continued to work hard to facilitate visas for those Afghan nationals who met the criteria to be part of the humanitarian mission and to help screen them prior to arrival in New Zealand.
It was unable to comment on individual cases.
Nelson applied for refugee status for seven families through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat), and says they provided her a verbal update on Sunday that they had all met the criteria and it was now an INZ issue.
As of Wednesday, none of the families had received any documentation or visas, Nelson said. She has spent hours on the phone and emailing Mfat, INZ and Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi for answers, and says the delay is unacceptable in a case where every hour matters.
The Taliban, which toppled the Afghanistan government more than a week ago, has said it would not accept the presence of the United States and other international forces at Kabul’s airport beyond an August 31 deadline.
“They’re all in hiding in places around the places in the city in Kabul, because the Taliban will only allow people to the airport if they can prove they have a visa,” Nelson said.
Nelson has also been in touch with Basir Ahmad in Afghanistan, who represents 37 families who worked for the Afghan Defence Force, who she said were still awaiting evacuation instructions. They’re all scared and anxious, she said.
”He is absolutely terrified for his life as are all of them, because they're worried it's going to be too late. A visa issued next week is not helpful.”
New Zealand’s evacuation effort began on Monday evening, with a Defence Force Hercules flying into Kabul’s airport and back to the United Arab Emirates. An initial group of New Zealand evacuees, airlifted by Australia’s Air Force, reached Auckland on Monday afternoon.
The Mfat and INZ have been approached for comment.