HERAT - Several Afghan civilians who worked in various functions for the Italian, British and American armed forces during conflict in their country have launched an urgent appeal for help getting out of their country, where they have been threatened by the Taliban and face the risk of death.

  “Please don’t abandon us, don’t let us die in Afghanistan. Bring us to your country. Us and our families. Otherwise the Taliban will kill us. We will be forever hunted for having cooperated with Italy.” This was the appeal launched by over 50 Afghan translators in the Corriere Della Sera on Sunday.

  Interpreters are the most exposed and at risk, having worked as the point of contact between Italian armies and Afghan locals since the first Italian troops arrived in the area in September 2001.

  The imminence of the dismantling of the Italian base in Herat makes the problem all the more urgent.

  The official number of Afghans in need of help is yet to be officially revealed by the Italian Ministry of Defence, but it is believed there are 50 Afghan interpreters, as well as their families, and a total of about 500 collaborators.

  With  Sept. 11 approaching, the date President Joe Biden set as the final day for the removal of the entire international contingent still in Afghanistan, the United States has already started moving the 18,000 Afghans who have requested visas for their work helping American forces.

  Britain have already approved 450 visas for Afghans who helped British forces.

  The United States already has wider evacuation programmes in place which expect to give 70,000 visas to Afghans and 100,000 to Iraqis who requested evacuation. 

  According to the Red Cross, there have already been as many as 1,000 interpreters killed in the last few years by the Taliban for their cooperation with foreign forces.

  On Sunday, a spokesperson for the Taliban said that “interpreters and their families have nothing to fear if they prove that they have repented and show remorse for their collaboration with foreign invaders.”

  However, the fear of the ever growing Taliban still remains, and several interpreters have already fled to Pakistan or Iran, without waiting for rescue by foreign forces.

  Between 2014 and 2015, Italy welcomed 130 Afghan citizens and allocated around 750,000 euros for their integration into the country.

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