Samiullah Omari has moved house too many times to count.
Death threats dropped in letters to his home have been a routine occurrence.
When people ask him what he does for a living, he lies and tells them he’s self-employed or works in construction.
But deep down, he knows it’s just a matter of time.
“We can't hide (forever),” he tells SBS News from Kabul.
“We can’t hide our background - everything you did is gonna come up someday.”
Now working for the US, Samiullah was a former interpreter for the Australian Defence Force, having helped the troops communicate with locals in Uruzgan and Kabul between late 2009 and 2011.
He says he regularly spent nights in the desert with the Australians, interpreting between villagers and the diggers as well Afghan soldiers in training near the capital.
Samiullah Omari (far right) with Australian and US soldiers in Afghanistan. Source: Supplied
“We were just soldiers without guns and we helped them out in the fields,” he says.
The 29-year-old has spent more than a decade helping foreign forces in Afghanistan - and that's made him a prime target for militant and terrorist groups hostile to the presence of the ‘invaders’.
To the Taliban and other groups, Afghans like Samiullah are considered traitors and spies.
‘He died while waiting for a visa’
With the impending September 11 withdrawal of international troops, including around 80 Australians, it’s a race against time for the Afghans who worked for foreign forces, trying to flee the war-torn country.
SBS News understands dozens like Samiullah are still waiting to hear any updates about their protection visa applications from the Department of Home Affairs.
“The situation is getting worse,” Samiullah says.
“Every day we are the witness of targeted killings. We're the witness of kidnappings, we're the witness of explosions.”
The small community of Afghan interpreters has lost two people every month just this year to targeted killings, Samiullah says.
“Just three days ago, we lost one and he got killed, and he was waiting for his visa.”
'Whole family is a target'
Ahmad* had finished a regular day working at a fast food outlet in the Kabul camp serving Australian troops when he saw the letter on his car windshield.
It was a death threat, telling him “they” knew he was working for the foreigners, and to stop or face “consequences”.
“I was very shocked,” Ahmad tells SBS News.
“From that day, I sold my car. I changed my style of clothing, just to not be recognised. And even I changed my routine, for example, my route (to work).”
But that’s not what keeps him up at night.
The Taliban once captured and tortured one of his loved ones after they travelled to visit family out of Kabul.
“I do not worry that much for my own self. I do worry for my family - I have three kids,” Ahmad says.
“In Afghanistan, most of the (extended) families are living together. If they know that for example one person is working with the foreigners, even all the family is a target.”
The 41-year-old says he has been living a “nightmare” ever since the withdrawal announcement was made.
Ahmad with a British soldier in Afghanistan. Source: Supplied
He fears history repeating itself once the withdrawal is complete, with Afghanistan reverting back to civil war and those who worked for the government or foreign forces the target of assassinations.
“We see this situation repeated once (before when) the Russians left - those people who were working with the Russians, they were killed, they were targeted,” he says.
Long wait for asylum
Afghans who supported Australia’s mission in Afghanistan can apply for a special visa under the Afghan LEEs (locally engaged employees) program.
Since 2013, over 1200 Afghans have been granted humanitarian visas under the policy.
Both Samiullah and Ahmad have been granted approval to apply for the visas but they fear the pandemic has slowed the application processing down.
Ahmad applied for his visa within a few months of obtaining his eligibility form in mid-2020, but hasn’t heard anything since.
“I have not received any update or even a case number from it,” he said.
‘Grave’ situation for interpreters
They're not the only ones.
More than 40 Afghans who have applied for Australian protection visas under the Afghan LEEs visa program are pleading with the federal government to expedite their cases before September.
In a co-written letter to the government, which SBS News have obtained a copy of, they say they are “woefully worried about what happens next”.
“A number of our co-workers have been intimidated by either Taliban or ISIS, luckily, some of them were helped to relocate to Australia and the rest still remain. We would like to state that Australia should not wait until the rest of us get intimidated or targeted as well.”
John Blaxland, Professor of the International Security and Intelligence Studies at the Australian National University, believes Afghanistan will experience a spike in violence and a breakdown of order once the withdrawal is complete.
And those who worked for Australian and other coalition forces will be left in “genuine and direct” danger, he says.
“It's going to be pretty grave,” Professor Blaxland tells SBS News.
“As the northern and southern alliances, the Afghan tribal groups clash over who controls the country and how that control is exercised, along the way anybody who's shown sympathy or support for the West is going to be in the crosshairs.”
'Enduring mark on Australia'
A long-time advocate for Afghan interpreters, former Australian army captain Jason Scanes says the complete withdrawal of Australian forces from Afghanistan will make it even harder for former LEEs to seek refuge in Australia.
Once Australians leave for good, their former employees won’t be able to get certification to apply for the visas as readily, he says.
Mr Scanes also fears if the Taliban take control of road corridors or the airport, they could stop those who’ve been granted visas from leaving the country.
“I think it's imperative that we have a system set up, and we take those applications and process them timely, and we get that system sorted out now,” he told SBS News.
“The way in which we leave this conflict will have an enduring mark on, I think, Australia as a nation and also the military's reputation.”
'Highest processing priority'
Professor Blaxland says Australia has a moral obligation to help those who put their lives on the line for Defence personnel.
“We need to really get over any bureaucratic concerns or foibles or protocol concerns,” he says.
“We need to reach out a hand of friendship and safety for those people who have been on our side and whose lives are now in danger.”
Labor is calling on the government to process visas for at-risk Afghans without delay.
Opposition defence spokesman Brendan O’Connor said Australia had a duty of care to the Afghan interpreters who worked side by side with its defence personnel.
“These interpreters in many cases wore Australian uniforms and helped keep our troops safe, at great risk to themselves,” he told SBS News in a statement.
“While every case must be considered on its individual merits, the Morrison government must not delay the processing of these visas.”
In a statement to SBS News, a government spokesman said the Afghan LEEs refugee program “continues to be a government priority under the 2020-21 Humanitarian Program”.
“Visa applications from certified LEE are afforded the highest processing priority within the Humanitarian Program but applicants must still meet rigorous health, character and national security requirements,” the spokesman said.
“The government does not comment on individual cases.”
“The terrorists will kill us”
It’s been a long journey for Samiullah to get to this point.
Several hiccups have stalled his application in the past decade, including losing contact with his former supervisors to verify his work with the ADF.
But he tracked them down, and finally obtained the certification needed to apply for the special Afghan LEE visa in May 2020.
The last he heard from Australian authorities was in January 2021 when he tried to add his newborn to his application.
Samiullah knows the pandemic has stalled processing, but he says time is running out.
“'I'm sure the COVID-19 will not kill us, but the terrorist groups will kill us very easily,” he says.
*Names have been changed to protect identities at request
