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Noorulhaq Sadeqi is a 38-year-old man from Afghanistan. He’s a refugee who’s been living in the U.S. for three years. Before that, Sadeqi served in the U.S.-supported Afghan airforce as a pilot and translator. But following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021 he was forced to flee.
“This is really, really strange and tragic story of all my life, because it’s 190 degrees out of all my plans,” Sadeqi said.
Sadeqi has legal status to be in the U.S., and he says he feels safe now. But he’s still separated from his wife and two children. They are currently living in Pakistan and he’s concerned about their safety.
“I’m really really worried about my family (because) the Pakistani government are not good with Afghan refugees over there. Just last week, they came to the apartment I rented for my family,” Sadeqi said. “Luckily my family has a valid visa. They are just looking to make (or) find some simple reason to make problems for Afghan refugees there.”
I met up with Sadeqi at the Refugee Dream Center in Providence. The organization helps refugees find housing, connect with jobs and social services and acclimate to life in the U.S.
Since the election, the staff at the Refugee Dream Center has been busy. Executive Director Teddi Jallow says they’ve been working overtime because their partners at HIAS and the United Nations Refugee Agency are trying to resettle as many refugees as possible before Trump comes into office.
In addition to the extra caseloads and people coming in off the street, the Center could be up against another challenge. Jallow says she relies on funding from the federal government to help pay for the Refugee Dream Center’s programs. And she’s worried that could be cut or go away entirely under the next presidential administration. She’s reaching out to other financial contributors in advance.
This story was reported by The Public’s Radio. You can read the entire story here.
