Nasir (24) dies in a terrorist attack in Kabul - Penzberg asylum workers and friends mourn

Many people were killed in the terrorist attack on Kabul airport on August 26th.

Among the victims is the 24-year-old Nasir, who lived in Penzberg for four years.

Penzberg -

“He was a very quiet and hardworking person,” remembers Anette Völker-Rasor from the Penzberg association “Werkraum” of the young Afghans. With many others, Nasir came to Penzberg from the Munich initial reception facility in 2016. He was just 19 years old at the time. “He learned his first words of German quickly. And he tried to find a job himself, ”reports Völker-Rasor.

In Munich, Nasir found a full-time job with a cleaning company and took the first train into town every day before he and some other young men from the Penzberg refugee accommodation were allowed to attend basic classes at the Weilheim vocational school from September 2017. "From now on, a small group of seven Afghan boys could be seen walking through Penzberg to the train station every morning," recalls Völker-Rasor. For all of them it was a time of great hope for a positive asylum decision. Everyone wanted to study for a good future at the Weilheim school.

But when in 2018 everyone received the rejections of their asylum applications, the group fell apart, according to Völker-Rasor.

“Soon nobody went to school anymore.” Many have moved on to other European countries.

Some had hoped for a lawsuit and looked for a job.

"Nasir was with those who continued to hope for Germany," said Völker-Rasor.

He resumed his job in Munich and worked full-time for the next two years.

Deportation threatened - Nasir voluntarily returned to Afghanistan

“But in the summer of 2020, when the lawsuit was also rejected, he lost all confidence.” Nasir was unable to go to other European countries because of the corona pandemic.

“And he didn't want to be deported.” Arriving in his home country as a deported refugee is often very dangerous for returning, explains the asylum worker.

So Nasir decided to return to Afghanistan voluntarily.

Last autumn he was back in a suburb of Kabul, which he had left five years earlier for fear of terror.

Just a few weeks later, Nasir married the neighbor's daughter, whom he had known from an early age.

Völker-Rasor knows that the young woman studied computer science and technical English.

Fear of the Taliban's return - Nasir wanted to return to Germany, but was only rejected

But Nasir was very afraid of what was emerging in Afghanistan.

Because the people there, says Völker-Rasor, knew much earlier than the foreign politicians and military officials that the Taliban would return.

Nasir reported about this again and again in telephone calls that he regularly had with the Afghan refugees still living in Penzberg.

According to Völker-Rasor, fewer than ten are currently still living in the city.

Some were good friends with Nasir and kept in contact with him.

When the airlift was being set up in the summer, Nasir asked the German office that had organized his return whether he could go back to Germany.

"But like his asylum application, this request for help was only rejected."

Afghan couple set out full of hope

Nevertheless, Nasir and his wife left at the end of August and made their way to Kabul airport.

"He with his experience in Germany and she as a qualified professional with no hope of a job under the Taliban: They would perhaps make it if they could only get into a machine:" Those were the hopes of the couple, like Nasir in the last one Talked to his friends in Penzberg.

When a suicide bomber carried out a bomb attack in a crowd at the entrance to Kabul airport on August 26, killing many Afghans as well as US soldiers (the exact number of victims varies), Nasir was one of the victims.

"He was dead immediately," says Völker-Rasor.

His wife survived.

The contact with her still exists.

Afghan asylum seekers and helpers mourn Nasir in Penzberg

The Afghan asylum seekers have now put up a photo of Nasir in the premises of the Werkraum-Verein in Penzberg, says Völker-Rasor.

Everyone is in deep shock.

On the one hand, everyone is very worried about their families in Afghanistan.

On the other hand, they felt confirmed that it was right to flee to Europe from war and terror.

According to Völker-Rasor, the future of these young men in Penzberg is uncertain.

Many have lawsuits against the rejection of their asylum notices pending.

The deportations to Afghanistan are currently suspended.

BY FRANZISKA SELIGER

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