REFUGEES in Wrexham have spoken of their fears for the safety of loved ones who remain in Afghanistan.

The country is in turmoil with the Taliban having taken control following the withdrawal of UK and US troops.

And heartbreaking scenes witnessed in Kabul have shown Afghan people desperately trying to clamber on to planes in a bid to flee the country.

Here in the UK, the Government has today annnounced plans to offer sanctuary to 5,000 refugees this year and 20,000 in the longer term.

And in Flintshire and Wrexham, local authorities are working alongside partner bodies including charities to prepare to support a number of Afghan families.

Wrexham Council has offered to house up to 10 families and Flintshire has also offered to support people through the Afghan Resettlement and Assistance Programme.

The council has issued an urgent appeal to private sector landlords to find suitable property for the families who seek sanctuary in the town.

These families' lives are in danger due to the work they have done for the UK Government and British Military in Afghanistan.

Refugee Kindness

Charities like Refugee Kindness - North Wales and Flintshire City of Sanctuary are also poised and ready to support families coming to the area from Afghanistan.

Now The Leader has spoken to a number of former asylum seekers from Afghanistan who have previously sought sanctuary in Wrexham.

They have told of their fears for loved ones who are stuck over there.

Max Amiri's story

It's been 20 years since Max Amiri fled to the UK from Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, as a terrified 18-year-old.

The Leader: Max AmiriMax Amiri

He had witnessed members of the Taliban brandishing guns on the street outside his home and, in his words, "basically doing what they wanted" and the harsh realities of life under the Taliban included the strict ruling that women were not allowed out of the house without a male chaperone.

Max was desperate to escape, resorting to paying human traffickers to bring him to the UK via many different countries, including Russia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Belgium and France.

His arduous route to freedom saw him crammed into the back of a lorry with many other asylum seekers, enduring horrific conditions. There were many times when he went hungry and was desperate for water during the gruelling journey to Europe, which many refugees do not survive.

Max, 44, told how he arrived in the UK alone and with no money and no possessions. He has since gained settled status in the UK, working hard in a factory and latterly as a taxi driver and an occasional translator, paying his way and funding his education via night classes and then college and university courses.

He wanted to make a better life for him and his family and went on to graduate with a degree in international politics from Liverpool John Moores University.

Max has now settled in Wrexham and has since met his wife and had three children.

But while he now loves living in North Wales, his heart is still very much with his family trapped over in Afghanistan, including his mother, father, brother and sisters and their children.

Some of his relatives are not able to attend school at present as their school has been closed as people are scared to go there.

Max spoke of how concerned he was for his loved ones in Kabul and for those whose lives are in danger due to having worked for the government or the US or UK military..

He said that his family had embraced the democracy and equality that came to the country in recent times and they were now devastated to see the Taliban take over and feared the removal of many basic human rights, including the rights of women and girls to access education and work.

Max said he was still able to contact his loved ones at the moment via a social messaging app, but he did not know how long they would be able to do this for, given that the Taliban had cut off electricity and internet supplies in the past. He said that people needed money to try to flee the country and not everyone could afford to do this.

Max said: "We are very worried about our loved ones in Afghanistan. It's not safe. If I could, I'd get them out of there. I'm very stressed because right now we can't go anywhere. The Taliban are knocking door to door to check who used to work for the government. Everybody is worried about what will happen. I feel very sad. What's happened is kind of unbelievable - how they got rid of the government and how they did this kind of transaction. Sadly the government decided to leave everything for them and just got out of the country. I was wondering how many lives have been lost in Afghanistan, especially so many soldiers' lives. Why? What was the reason for this?

"It's sad because it's like we have shown these people the light and taken them up to the sky and then suddenly dropped them. They were given democracy and support and the prospect of an education and a better future and suddenly all this is taken away from them. How will women without husbands or fathers survive and support their families if they can't go to work?

"I don't understand why America and Britain and other countries let these things happen."

Max added that he has worked to support other refugees since coming to the UK and he was keen to help ensure that they settled into their new lives. He has done this through organisations such as the Refugee Kindness - Wales charity.

He said: "Of course, I do miss being home in Afghanistan. Home is always home, wherever you may be in the world. You miss your childhood home, and the places where you used to play. The people of Wales are very friendly. Ninety nine per cent are wonderful - very kind and supportive. I hope that one day 100 per cent will be like this.

"My request to the people of Wales is that if people come to seek refuge here then please look at them in a good way. It's so difficult for someone to leave their own country and life and go somewhere as an asylum seeker. That's a big punishment for someone. We should treat them with respect, just as we would treat anyone else. Don't look at these people as refugees or asylum seekers - look at them as people. They are so brave to put their lives at risk to leave their country, with no food, shelter or money."

Fleeing the Taliban

"All the refugees can now live a peaceful life without having to worry for their or their kids' lives."

Meanwhile, an anonymous Afghan refugee from another family living in Wrexham told The Leader that her mum and dad and husband's family were still in Afghanistan.

She said: "Our family are okay but they are terrified for what is going to happen in future. Afghanistan is in a very critical condition after the Taliban takeover. People are so desperate to leave that they are running after moving planes and many got killed in the airport. People are terrified for the future.

"I came to the UK in 2015. The Afghanistan situation was bad back then but it was better than now. I’m really happy that they come here and they should feel lucky to flee the Taliban and for their kids to have freedom and every right to an education.

"I hope that everyone is safe in Afghanistan. All Afghan people want is peace in their country and I hope that one day in the future that the Taliban flag will go down and the Afghanistan flag go up. All the refugees can now live a peaceful life without having to worry for their or their kids' lives."

Refugee support

Wrexham MP Sarah Atherton has leant her support to the plans to bring refugees to the UK.

She said: “I am incredibly concerned about those in Afghanistan, especially the women and girls, whose lives will have been dramatically altered by recent events. I am passionate about protecting women from violence and my recent Defence Select Committee report into the female military experience and veterans advocated for better protection for women in our society, so it is important that Wrexham County Borough Council will be extending our support to those families from Afghanistan with a genuine need for protection.

“This is also an opportunity for the council to think creatively about the housing options in Wrexham, including the empty properties and spaces that are available around the town as we speak. I know that there are empty properties which the council could be utilising for those in Wrexham that need it and with this additional commitment I hope the council will look again at how it manages its housing supply.”

News that 20,000 Afghan refugees will be resettled in the UK has also been welcomed by the Welsh Conservatives.

Welsh Conservative leader in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies MS, said: “The scenes unfolding in Afghanistan in recent days have been utterly chaotic, and the British Government’s new resettlement scheme will help thousands of at-risk Afghans.

“Many Afghans are in urgent need of our help after working with the UK to make Afghanistan a better place over the last twenty years.

“The UK has a proud history of welcoming those fleeing persecution or oppression, and now it is time for the Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay to step up to the plate and provide support.”