Suleiman stands inside a textile factory in Istanbul and folds clothes. There are piles of clothes around him. He looks seriously into the camera. The photo was taken in secret by a friend so that the boss would not notice it. Those who work here are illegal in the country.
– I work at the factory at least five days a week, says Suleiman, and shows the pictures. He explains that the working days are 11 hours.
– Suleiman at work in Istanbul. Photo: Private
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– They drive us very hard. We get no breaks. We’re not even allowed to talk.
Hourly wage: Seven to eight kroner
For this job he is promised 1800 Norwegian kroner a month. This corresponds to seven to eight kroner an hour.
– But I have not received a salary yet. I do not know if I will get it either. There are many illegals who are cheated for their wages. We have no rights here in Turkey, the 20-year-old explains.
Suleiman fled his hometown of Kabul shortly after the Taliban took power in mid-August.
– They are relentless. It’s them. Now they do not let the women go out. They take them and beat them, Suleiman said when TV 2 met him for the first time in early October.
– Suleiman and Amir grabbed their legs and ran into the woods as TV 2’s team approached. – We thought you were police, they smiled lightly when they realized that we were only journalists. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
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By then, he and two comrades had just crossed the border from Iran into Turkey. They had spent six weeks from Kabul, through Pakistan and throughout Iran.
– Will save the sisters
They told of violent border guards, brutal smugglers and life-threatening mountain passes. An escape so relentless that they witnessed toddlers die along the way.
But Suleiman refused to give up, as he had a clear goal with the escape: To earn enough money to get the four sisters out of the Taliban regime.
– The Taliban have kidnapped other girls. They can take my sisters too. My sisters !, said Suleiman in despair, before he quickly wiped away the tears that had pushed him forward.
Terrified of being arrested
The three friends were promised a job in Istanbul. But first they had to get there from the eastern Van province, without being caught by the police. It is around 1600 kilometers.
– We have no idea how to handle it, was the last thing they said before they strolled away along the road, while they tried to hide as well as possible.
Almost two weeks later, a message ticked in on the mobile of TV 2’s team.
– Hi, it’s Suleiman. I came to Istanbul !, was modest.
Another three weeks later, TV 2’s broadcaster meets him again in Istanbul. He tells of an arduous journey through Turkey.
– We had to go most of the way. It took 10-15 days. It was very difficult.
– Suleiman walked through large parts of Turkey. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
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He lost contact with Amir along the way. He does not know where he is now.
– We came apart. We met a lot of policemen and we had to run from them. There were many who were taken, including friends of mine.
The dream breaks
Suleiman admits that life in Turkey has been tough so far.
– Even my clothes are borrowed, he says. For when he has not yet received a reward, he must live on the goodwill of others. So far, he has been allowed to live for free in a small apartment that 13 other Afghans splice on.
Suleiman goes out on the balcony, bends down to avoid the laundry hanging to dry, and looks down at life down the street. He himself never goes out, only when he goes to and from work.
– There is a shortage of space in the apartment that 14 people share. Photo: Private
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– I’m in danger if I go out. The police can arrest me and send me to a camp and then across the border, he says firmly.
– All the Afghans here are afraid of being thrown out of the country.
Suleiman turns back towards the apartment. He knows he has to start paying for himself soon otherwise he may lose the roof over his head. But he is also in debt after the escape.
– I had to borrow a lot to pay the human traffickers, he says resignedly.
Single parent
It is also urgent to send money home to the family in Afghanistan. He explains that now he is the only breadwinner in the family. Suleiman’s brother is back in Kabul, but like most others, he has not been paid since the Taliban took over.
– Poverty is rising rapidly in Afghanistan. Here are beggars at the street market in Makrorayan, Kabul. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
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The UN estimates that famine will hit over half the Afghan population this winter. And almost the entire population, 97 percent, may fall below the poverty line next year, writes Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release.
– I’m worried about the family. They have no money to buy anything. What are they going to eat?
But Suleiman is beginning to realize that he will not be able to send money home, at least not right away.
– If I get the salary I was promised, it will hardly be enough to cover my own expenses, he states.
This is difficult to tell the sisters. Because the last time we met him, it was the sisters he was most afraid of:
Education and everything else has been taken from them by the Taliban. They no longer dare to leave the house.
The sisters are waiting for help
Therefore, the sisters beg him to move further west in Europe, in the hope that he will then be able to help them. Suleiman has inquired about prices from human traffickers for crossing the country road to Greece or Bulgaria or by boat to Greece or Italy.
– If you have to take the country road, it costs 5-6000 euros. If you are going to go by sea, it costs 9-10 000 euros. In addition, you need 1000-2000 euros for other expenses.
Suleiman shakes his head a little. He’s probably done the math. His monthly salary is 180 euros at today’s exchange rate. Even the very cheapest option of 6000 euros will cost him 33 monthly salaries.
– Suleiman (20) at work in Istanbul. Photo: Private
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The sea route costs 12,500 working hours
The sea route will cost him at least 10,000 euros, we must believe the smugglers. That is almost 100,000 Norwegian kroner. With the hourly wage he has now, he has to work for around 12,500 hours.
In comparison, a man-year in Norway is 1750-1950 hours, according to Statistics Norway.
But then he must have saved all the money he earns. The truth is that he will hardly be able to save anything if he does not get a better job. So when the sisters wonder when he will send help, they do not get the answer they hope for:
– When I do not have money, how do I get to Europe? I have no money to send my family or to go to Europe. I’m locked up here.
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