Arif Rahimi, a Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, escaped Taliban persecution after being tortured for his involvement in the Afghan Presidential Election. Fortunately, he was rescued and then he fled to Indonesia to save his life.

While living inside the detention centre, he kept his hopes high and kept learning English and Indonesian languages. Recently, he has been practicing as a barber to improve his skills. His dream is to reunite with his wife Tahera who is left in Afghanistan. Luckily, they both are FULLY FUNDED, and all they need is to find a group of five Canadian friends who can help bring them to Canada where they both can live happily together.

Profile: Arif is a Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia and his wife Tahera is living in Afghanistan.

Advantages: Arif is a UN-certified, he has good English skills, and is experienced Sales Person and barber, FULLY FUNDED.

Risk: At risk of being tortured and killed by the Taliban if returned home.

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Early Life

Arif was born in 1991 in Khas Uruzgan district in Uruzgan province in Afghanistan.

The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education. In 1991, a conflict erupted between Pashtuns and Hazaras. Fleeing the violence, Arif’s family moved to his maternal uncle’s home that was in Shirdagh a village in the Uruzgan province. In that same year, his parents went back to their home to collect their essential belongings, but they never returned. 

Taken and Tortured

By his maternal uncle’s advice, Arif moved to Ghazni city in 2007 and started living independently. He used to work at a grocery store to support himself. Eventually, he established his own shop in the year 2010.

While running his grocery shop, Arif decided to work at the Afghan Presidential Election 2014. He then became election supervisor at the Bakawol Voting Center in Ghazni. He played a crucial role in ensuring the smooth conduct of the election at that location.

In November 2014, he planned to travel to Malistan. On the way from Ghazni to Malistan, he was captured by the Taliban in the place called Dasht-e-Qarabagh. The members of the Taliban knew about his being a voting center supervisor, and they accused him of aiding foreign forces.

After being taken to an unknown place, Arif was beaten and tortured by the Taliban. In those days, the conflict between the Afghan National Army and the Taliban escalated. Fortunately, The Afghan National Force attacked Taliban’s bases.

“There were sounds of gun fires from everywhere. After a few hours of intense fight, the Afghan National Army arrived on the scene and they rescued me.”

The Jouenwy to Indonesia

After being rescued, Arif went to Kabul. He knew that the Taliban had his information and they could capture and kill him in Afghanistan, so he decided to seek a safe place.

After arranging for a people smuggler, Arif flew from Kabul to New Delhi, India on December 30, 2014. From there, he went to Malaysia by plane and then on to Indonesia by boat in January 2015.

Life in Limbo 

On January 26, 2015, he registered himself with the UNHCR in Jakarta. With no right to work or way to support himself in Indonesia, he went to Pekanbaru Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. On April 18, 2015, he was transferred to a detention centre in Pekanbaru.

The detention centre was overcrowded and badly ventilated, and refugees faced many challenges like, lack of food, water and proper medical care. On July 25, 2019, Arif was freed and transferred to a community house in Pekanbaru.

Remote Marriage

Arif Had been in love with Tahera Qorbani who is his mother’s relative. He was not allowed to be in contact with her due to the strict rules of Tahera’s family.

After so many struggles and challenges, Tahera’s family accepted Arif’s proposal believing that Arif and Tahera are eligible to be resettled in Canada through Canada’s Private Sponsorship Program.

Fortunately, Arif and Tahera got married remotely, solely through a religious ceremony. But Tahera is still in danger in Afghanistan. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, women cannot go outside without a man according to the rules of the Taliban. Arif says:

“I am very concerned for my wife Tahera. My dream is to reunite with my wife in the land of freedom called Canada.” 

There is a way! 

Since arriving in Indonesia in 2015, Arif has been attending different English and Indonesian language classes. In 2022, he enrolled in a barber training course. Since then, he has been working as a barber.

“This journey reflects my dedication to continuous learning and professional growth over the years.”

There is a way for Arif and his wife Tahera to fulfill their dreams and live a life with freedom in Canada. Since Arif is officially certified as a refugee by the UNHCR – unlike the vast majority of the world’s refugees – they qualify for Canada’s private sponsorship program. Another good thing about them is that they are FULLY FUNDED.

If you would like to sponsor this couple – or if you’re just interested in helping to bring them here – please contact their friend Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can reach out to Arif Rahimi directly on Facebook – or through WhatsApp: +62 812-8310-0557.

Reach out and discover how wonderful it is to privately sponsor a good family to start a new life – with your help – in Canada!

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