In March 2021 the Taliban stopped heavily pregnant Dr Sorya Ghafoor and her two-year-old son from leaving Kabul. Doyle, O’Reilly and Azim desperately contacted friends, officials and embassies. Ireland is one of only two countries still providing such routes to safety to people who face persecution in Afghanistan. “When the Taliban came, I lost everything,” she says. “I couldn’t talk about it.”Over in Ireland, Azim was grappling with a new country and culture.

Source: The Irish Times January 04, 2026 13:30 UTC