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Mohammad Siddiq Habibi crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally and now lives without documents, navigating life and work in the U.S. VOA’s Fahim Siddiqi has the story from San Diego, California, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptA2A – Afghan Refugees US (TV) Fahim Siddiqi
HEADLINE: Afghan Refugee Who Crossed Into US From Mexico Faces Hardships TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: 08/14/2023 at 7:43 pm
BYLINE: Fahim Siddiqi
DATELINE: San Diego, California
CONTRIBUTOR: Roshan Noorzai
VIDEOGRAPHER: Fahim Siddiqi
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Afghan Service
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO
TRT: 2:03
VID APPROVED BY: mia
TYPE: TVPKG/RADIO
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO))
[[Mohammad Siddiq Habibi crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally and now lives without documents, navigating life and work in the U.S. VOA’s Fahim Siddiqi has the story from San Diego, California, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.]]
((NARRATOR))
Mohammad Siddiq Habibi was once an Afghan soldier, but he now is an undocumented migrant in the U.S. since he crossed the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully.
((Mohammad Siddiq Habibi, Afghan Refugee ((Male/Dari)) ((Video: 00:47 – 01:05))
“We crossed this border and scaled the first wall from that hill and entered the U.S., and we spent one night there.”
((NARRATOR))
Habibi's journey began with a humanitarian visa to Brazil. He then embarked on a perilous trek through almost a dozen countries to reach the U.S. border.
((Mohammad Siddiq Habibi, Afghan Refugee ((Male/Dari)) ((Video: 1:39 – 2:00))
“We faced many problems. We put our lives at risk by coming here. It took us at least three months.”
((NARRATOR))
Habibi is one of the thousands of Afghans who has arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum in the recent months.
Border authorities recorded a significant rise in Afghan refugees, with over 2,100 apprehended while crossing last year alone, marking an almost 30-fold increase from 2021. [[https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hundreds-afghans-risk-11-country-trek-seek-haven-united-states-2023-02-01/]]
Habibi says that after he had been apprehended by border police, he spent nine days in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility.
[[For radio: Ghulam Farouq Bashar is an immigration consultant.]]
((Ghulam Farouq Bashar, Immigration Consultant ((Male/Dari)) ((Video: 2:37 to 2:07))
“When Afghans or others enter the U.S. illegally, the border police apprehend them. Until a decision is made about them, or, in other words, until they are able to apply for asylum, border security will keep them. But sometimes they are allowed to enter the U.S. on the condition that they appear in the court on a certain date.”
((NARRATOR))
Habibi says that he has since applied for asylum, but for now he can neither rent a place nor work because he has no documents.
((Mohammad Siddiq Habibi, Afghan Refugee ((Male/Dari)) ((Video: 2:20 to 2:37))
“Currently, I don’t have any job in the U.S. I have no work authorization. Our future is not clear in the U.S. For now, I live with my friends.”
((NARRATOR))
Habibi envisions a future where he can bring his wife, who remains in Afghanistan, to the U.S., and they can start a new life together.
((For Fahim Siddiqi in San Diego, California, Bezhan Hamdard, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Fahim Siddiqi in San Diego, Califoria
Embargo DateAugust 14, 2023 20:36 EDT
Byline
Bezhan Hamdard, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
