When the French army was in Afghanistan, Nadia*, now 31, worked as a saleswoman in the store of an army camp, so she is considered an army auxiliary. After the departure of the French forces, the young woman resumed her studies and became a midwife, her dream job.

The return to power of the Taliban after the fall of Kabul on August 15, 2021 put life at risk, as they considered anyone who had worked for a foreign army a threat. Nadia was able to leave the country on one of the flights set up by the French authorities in August 2021. But her family – her parents and her 22-year-old little sister – stayed behind.

Two years after this quick departure and her move to France, Nadia looks back on the story of her integration and that of her family who had to flee Afghanistan to protect themselves.

“I have been in France for two years now. Today, I live in Nîmes, I live in a home where I have a studio.

I haven't found a job yet. I would like to be able to work as a midwife but I don't have a French diploma so I'm thinking of looking for a job as a saleswoman in a store.

As a refugee, many things are difficult, such as language, administrative procedures, correspondence, etc. Living alone is difficult too. My family is not with me. My parents and my little sister live in Iran now. They have been there for about nine months. A year and a half ago, I submitted visa applications for them to come and join me in France, but I still haven't heard from them.

My family ended up going to Iran because life was very complicated for them in Afghanistan. They had to move several times because the Taliban came to their house to ask where their daughters were.

Nadia's older sister was also an auxiliary in the French army in Afghanistan. She now lives in the United States with her husband."

An impossible life for women

"My little sister was able to finish university and get her medical degree two months after the Taliban arrived. But now, life is extremely hard for women in Afghanistan. They cannot study or work. They can't leave and they can't even go to beauty salons anymore.

The Taliban believe that women should marry and not earn money. But today, more and more women refuse to marry because they do not want Taliban husbands imposed on them. They are not humans, they are animals.

When my family was still living in Afghanistan, a Taliban came to my parents' house one day to tell them that he wanted to marry my little sister. But she didn't want to and my father also refused. So they moved again and that's when they decided to go to Iran, to protect my little sister.

I am still very worried about my family. I really want them to come here and join me. I always feel sad when I think about that. I'm talking about it with La Cimade [editor's note: a French migrants advocacy organization] and with my social worker but, for the moment, I have no solution.

Before, I would read a lot and watch a lot of videos about Afghanistan, but now I don't because it makes me too sad. We wonder how what is happening is possible...

My dream would be for there to be real peace in Afghanistan and for men and women to have the same freedom to do what they want. In France, men and women have the same rights, I think that's very good."

*Name changed to protect anonymity