The testimonies: «Suspended in limbo. Now emigrating is more difficult “
D.within the five-star field, order arrives long before melancholy and despair seems far away yet this unreal village, destined for fans during the next World Cup, is a corridor between fear and the unknown, once suspended for the Afghans and especially the Afghans passing through Qatar, the only escape route left.
Ahmed inflates the ball for the afternoon’s tournament. Those who arrive here, after quarantine, enter a world made up of all kinds of activities: painting classes, theater, clowns for children, concerts. The rhythm of a holiday resort without the remotest idea of a holiday. Until a few weeks ago the houses were full, now there are less than 200 people because it is increasingly difficult to get those in danger out of Afghanistan. Whoever succeeds starts with a basic package that is provided free of charge by the general store in the center of the village and with guaranteed meals. Permaz would like a pair of sandals, but there are none of his size, “Patience”, he smoothes his abaya, the tunic he wears, head covered and face free. He plays basketball or at least played, he is there, like many others, thanks to Fifa which acts as an umbrella for all the sports federations and coordinates a small and increasingly complicated exodus. Permaz is waiting for the next destination, whoever passes through this camp has one, to have the help of Qatar it is necessary to provide the necessary documents to enter another country. Permaz knows her future address, but explains that “these are things to talk about with my husband.” Leaving Afghanistan does not mean leaving its rules, it is not enough to cross a border and even the years of relative independence were not enough, even for such a young woman. Here she has returned to bounce a balloon and her daughter spends hours at the nursery, overwhelmed by the dynamism of Umanga, a Sri Lankan educator who organizes birthday parties: «We also found balloons. Here the children draw, play, learn to be calm ».
At the head of the Fifa operation is Joyce Cook, head of the most delicate department, social and humanitarian commitments, the balance office. And even this woman who for years has been engaged in straightening out very serious problems is tried by months of contacts with which she tries to hold up very fragile threads: «A dramatic experience, we often find ourselves with messages that we no longer have the possibility of identifying as reliable. We tell our contacts to be ready and then weeks go by, without news, it’s painful ». At the beginning there were 641 people on a list already reduced to a minimum, the first starter list exceeded 100 places, the last was 7, mostly family reunions traced with care, attention and tenacity. On the flight that departed from Kabul and landed in Doha at the end of November, there was an 18-month-old child who had lost his parents, now he is with his mother: “It is the moments of emotion that keep us going but then we fight against meaning of guilt and against time. Many young soccer players are holed up with their families with no more food or doctorsneither. Qatar has taken on great responsibilities, I am now the only safe partner ». There are those who take risks on the land and then are blackmailed, sent back, handed over. 367 names remain to be expatriated and only 185 ready passports. Every country, including Italy, first helped the people who orbited the Western missions. The FIFA president Infantino has found support in Albania where there is now a base with 156 refugees, or rather 157 because a child was born in these days: “They are fantastic, they told us,” we know what it means to flee en masse “. Other nations have expressed their intention but then… “. Then the list is difficult to fix.
The five-star camp empties of people and hopes. Reached 367 this operation ends and Cook sighs, «It is devastating, but it is also our best. And the pandemic does not help ». Even those who have their name on the crumbling list go through uncertainty. We need the Qatari military for the extraction and a guarantor for the trip, a bridge with the new destination, Fifa supports the exiles with 2000 dollars a month until they are able to leave “even if the girls want to return, they do not imagine themselves in exile, but temporarily distant from a homeland that they dream of once again liveable. Even for a sixteen year old who plays football, only tragedies are left behind for teenagers ». And just a balloon, now inflated, in front.
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