‘Mental torture for us’: A year after fleeing Afghanistan, refugees in Chicago anguish over unclear future

Siam Pasarly, who fled Afghanistan in August 2021, is living in Chicago, having come to the United States on a humanitarian parole visa. The Taliban has killed his friends, he said. “This is mental torture to us. … That we are facing [an] unclear future.” (Pat Nabong / Sun-Times)

During emotional phone calls, Siam Pasarly tries to explain to his daughter why he can’t just buy her a plane ticket to reunite their Afghan family.

A year ago, Pasarly fled his homeland, fearing he might be killed as the Taliban seized power. Pasarly, 32, had worked with the U.S.-allied government in Afghanistan before it was ousted, and some of his friends were killed.