‘Don’t leave me behind enemy lines’
Nowroz Ali volunteered to help the NZ Defence Force in Afghanistan. Now, writes Andrea Vance, he’s getting death threats.
Asecond volunteer interpreter says he’s been abandoned and ‘‘left to face death’’ in Afghanistan. Nowroz Ali says he and his family are targets of the Taliban for his work with the Defence Force at Bamiyan’s Kiwi Base.
Last week the Sunday StarTimes revealed Jawed Yousufi is stranded in Turkey after Associate Immigration Minister Poto Williams turned down his plea for help.
The men don’t qualify for a resettlement scheme because they weren’t paid for the work.
Ali, from Sar-e-asyba village, worked as an assistant to security guards on the front gate and says he also volunteered as an interpreter. He was later employed by US soldiers working at the base.
‘‘Unfortunately, my life is in severe danger as result of my work history with New Zealand’s PRT [provincial reconstruction team]. [I’m] in constant fear, all of the time trying to hide because otherwise I am going to be killed.
‘‘I worked to help your people and the people that helped my province . . . do I deserve to die for that?
‘‘I have no idea how to protect myself and my family . . . please do not leave me behind the enemy lines.’’
In 2012 and 2013, the Government offered interpreters who had been employed in Bamiyan resettlement in New Zealand with their dependants. As a result 44
aAfghan interpreters and 96 of their immediate family members were resettled in New Zealand. But the Government declined Ali’s application to resettle in New Zealand in early 2015. ‘‘This is not fair at all. Offer me the resettlement privilege to come to New Zealand or relocate me within Afghanistan. Please don’t leave me behind,’’ he said. A spokeswoman for Immigration New Zealand (INZ) confirmed then Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse ‘‘was not prepared to intervene in Mr Ali’s case to grant him residence’’.
The decision is at the minister’s discretion ‘‘and the minister is not required to provide reasons for granting or not granting residence in such cases,’’ she added.
‘‘Mr Ali is able to apply for a visa under normal immigration instructions if he believes he meets the normal immigration requirements for that visa.
‘‘However, INZ processing offices do not have the ability to consider the grant of residence as an exception to instructions as these are absolute discretion decisions made by the minister.’’
The Defence Force confirmed Ali was employed as a ‘‘baziresh’’ or gate assistant for five months, but not as an interpreter.
They have no record of Yousufi working in Bamiyan.
However, two senior officers wrote letters of support for his residency application.
Two former US officers also wrote to vouch for Ali.
A spokesman for the Defence Force said: ‘‘Those NZDF personnel who served in Afghanistan and worked with locally employed Afghan people cared deeply about that country, and the people who at times undertook paid work for the NZDF, including interpreters . . . Notwithstanding the dedication of NZDF personnel who served in Afghanistan to help the Afghan people, issues related to residency or citizenship in New Zealand are matters for Immigration New Zealand.’’ military Stuff to