The Off Ramp Report
From The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina
As he logged onto the Zoom call, we saw gray walls and a door. Bernard* said he was at the university, just finishing an exam, and realized it was time for the call. He did not want to miss talking to us, so he stopped and sat on the floor to visit.
Bernard is a refugee from Afghanistan currently attending a university in Pakistan. After applying and receiving refugee status from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), he needed a reason to be in Pakistan and a safer place to stay. He applied to the university and was accepted.
Bernard fled Afghanistan after witnessing the murder of his father and his brother. He was being sought by the Taliban. His mother and sister were threatened. His mother begged him to leave before he was murdered. He fled.
Bernard dreams of finishing his education and becoming a businessperson. He wants to have a business that provides for others who are persecuted. He wants to work for a better, safer society.
He worries about his mom, who is harassed daily because authorities want to know where he is. He had finished all the paperwork for the UNHCR and had been referred to the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The Off Ramp agreed to sponsor Bernard's repatriation to the United States through the Welcome Corps, a private sponsorship program administered by the U.S. State Department. He had hoped that once he was repatriated, he could help his mom, who is alone and persecuted.
That hope came to an abrupt halt on January 27th with the Executive Order suspending all refugee applications, no matter where they were in the process. Bernard was heartbroken. How could he become a businessperson and provide for his mother? How could he live in freedom and safety without being beaten up or killed because of his faith? How could he continue to live in Pakistan? The Off Ramp, having agreed to sponsorship, began sending monthly support while Bernard sought solutions in other countries.
The situation for Afghans in Pakistan deteriorated. Eventually the two countries were at war. On numerous occasions Bernard has barely escaped deportation. Deportation would mean certain death.
We have sought solutions to his situation. Now Pakistan refuses even student visas. Bernard took an English exam and did very well. So we began knocking on numerous university doors.
He was accepted into a university in Canada. We paid tuition up front, but he was denied a visa. We knocked on many EU doors. No possibilities were forthcoming. Finally, he was accepted into a university in Hungary. Again, we paid the tuition up front. Each time he completed all the paperwork they required, he would receive notice that something else was needed. Usually the request came with a request for more money.
Finally, all paperwork was submitted, and Bernard had his interview with the Hungarian embassy. Our hope and prayer is that he will be accepted and Bernard will complete his education in Hungary.
We visit Bernard every week via Zoom. He has grown to love our family and we him. He connects regularly via Facebook with The Welcome Table, a faith community in Rock Hill. Recently he recorded a video for The Welcome Table that focused on God's abundance versus a mindset of scarcity. He is hopeful and positive but cannot help feeling some despair for his situation. His great desire is for an education to help others experiencing persecution and to find a safe place for his mother.
For more stories regarding those we serve, please visit our blog.
Rev. Nell Green
Director
*Names are changed for security and privacy purposes.