“I had worked for more than 20 years, but couldn’t make a life; we were just living.” Khairullah, a 55 years-0ld returnee from Pakistan. In 2016, when Pakistan forced afghan refugees to leave, khairullah was among those who left the refugees camp voluntarily. He doesn’t want to talk much about his past and the time in Pakistan living as a refugee. He thinks those were the darkest days in his life he ever had.
Khairullah fled to Pakistan with his family during the 1980s, and was settled in Nassir Bagh, Peshawar, a place for thousands of Afghan refugees. He said,” When I first reached Nassir Bagh camp, I was receiving aids from UN and charity organizations.” At the beginning he was satisfied for what he was receiving, but as he got married for the second time and his family grew up, he was not satisfied with what he was given. When he was asked about his second marriage and his poor financial situation, he explained,” I got married for the second time because my first wife was sterile, and I wanted to have babies.”
Khairullah started his own business in Sadder Bazar Peshawar. He opened a shop and started with selling female clothes. His everyday struggle was to cope with police officers. They were demanding lots of money from him. He added,” I worked for many years here, but I was not able to collect money for my family and future. I was just making as much money as we were able to live. With the same amount of work and money people in Afghanistan could buy a big house and cars.”
With the passion, energy, eagerness he had for work, khairullah opened a brunch of an international company in Afghanistan. In less than one year, he was able to operate in more than three provinces. In a sadden voice and face, he murmured and said,” as much as I made in this year I couldn’t made in 20 years, and this is the misery of being a migrant and living as a refugee.”