Britain's Prince William has praised the bravery of Afghan migrants starting new lives in the UK, saying “you couldn’t be more welcome”.
William talked to Afghans who risked their lives to work for the British government and their families, telling them on Tuesday: “Thank you for all you have done for us.”
He was visiting a hotel in Leeds that is being used to accommodate those evacuated from Kabul after the Taliban takeover.
“The most important thing is that you are safe now. You have a bright future," William told them.
He was greeted with cheers and applause and then sat with two families who escaped Kabul in September.
Haroom Shahab, 33, and his wife, Zehra Akbarti, 28, told the Duke of Cambridge how they had to wait for 28 hours at the airport to move 200 metres and get on a plane.
Mr Shahab, a firefighter, described “horrific” scenes, with thousands of desperate people sprinting towards the runways, making it impossible for planes land.
“They were running, they were desperate, in front of the oncoming aircraft. That was very hard for us,” he said. “We were trying to get out of the country because our lives have been torn to shreds.
“When we got to the UK we finally knew we would be safe. The Taliban are killing people without compassion – policemen and their families just gunned down.
“Anyone with a link to British or Nato forces or government. We are now starting to make a life here for us. The people love us, they have been so kind to us.
“But I am worried for my colleagues left behind. They are being killed and their families hunted down.
William said: “It must be very difficult trying to build your new life here while you are so worried about them."
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A Taliban fighter prays next to a demonstration organised by the Afghan Society of Muslim Youth, demanding the release of frozen international money in Kabul, Afghanistan. AP Photo -
A Taliban fighter and a group of Afghan men attend Friday prayers in Kabul. AP Photo -
Taliban soldiers in Bagram Air Base in Parwan. Reuters -
Taliban soldiers Seifatollah and Vasighollah stand in a prison in Bagram Air Base. Reuters -
Taliban patrol Kabul. EPA -
Vahdat, a Taliban soldier and former prisoner, stands next to exercise equipment in Bagram Air Base. Reuters -
A Taliban fighter stands guard near Zanbaq Square in Kabul. AFP -
Taliban fighters police a road in Herat. AFP
Mr Shahab told the prince how the Taliban had taken his parents “when they came round looking for me".
“There is a lot of fear, a lot of worry still,” William said.
The hotel, which is not being identified for security reasons, houses up to 175 people at any one time as they find permanent accommodation.
Hussain Samangan, 38, who worked as a political secretary at the British embassy in Kabul, told William he felt very welcome in Yorkshire and was optimistic for a “bright, exciting future” in the UK.
He was accompanied by his wife, Masooma, 31, who had been editor-in-chief of a newspaper in Kabul, and sons Daniel, 10, and Arian, 1, who entertained the royal visitor with his antics.
William asked whether they thought the “new” Taliban would be a different regime.
“No. We know what the Taliban wants, we know they have not changed and that we couldn’t trust them,” Mr Samangan said, shaking his head.
“We are settling in well, we are making friends. Daniel said to me this morning he had made 11 friends at school."
“Eleven friends?” William said. “You have more than I have, Daniel.”
He ended his visit meeting families who had successfully relocated to the UK years ago, including Omidullah Ahmadi, 32, who had worked as a translator for British military, and his wife, Santga, 26.
“Everyone over here feels connected to you. There’s a lot of love for you and your families," William said.
“What you have had to give up and what you have achieved here. You are a shining example for those following you now.”
Enver Solomon, chairman of the Refugee Council, said: “What you are seeing in Leeds is a shining example of what has been been done across the country to give these families the best possible welcome.
William also visited Catch, a youth-led charity based in the Harehills area of Leeds, which helps young people in an area with high levels of anti-social behaviour.
He played table tennis at the centre, which provides recreational activities for its young members.
Catch provides a weekly activity session for children evacuated from Afghanistan, giving young migrants the chance to socialise and integrate in a relaxed, fun setting.
The centre has pool tournaments, computer games, movie nights, sports activities, a gym, poly-tunnels where horticulture can be taught and a community cafe, which is open to the public.
The duke also met some of the centre’s pet goats and the young people who care for them.
