An Update on Bernard

We are grateful for everyone who has followed Bernard's story and supported him along the way.

Bernard is a young man from Afghanistan who fled after witnessing the murder of his father and brother and being targeted himself by the Taliban. He has spent the past several years working toward a university education and a safe place to live, most recently attending classes in Pakistan while waiting on a student visa to Hungary. As with all the stories we share, his name has been changed to protect his safety.

We want to give you an honest update.

On August 18, Bernard received notice that his student visa request for Hungary was denied. He is understandably very disappointed. Meanwhile, the situation in Pakistan remains precarious at best.

He finished the semester at his university in Islamabad strong, with high marks in all of his classes. But getting to campus has become more difficult. Where there was once a single checkpoint, there are now three. His student ID has helped him get through many of these checks, but a valid student visa still has not been issued, even though the university has requested it repeatedly.

Here's what we're doing:

1. Working to secure safer passage for Bernard to and from the university, since public transportation carries the most risk.

2. Exploring connections in Pakistan to see whether a governmental contact could help push his visa through, since it shows as "pending" online and appears to need only an official stamp.

3. Following up on two possible paths to Canada. One did not work out, and we are still waiting to hear on the second.

4. Looking into long term visa options in other countries in the region, and remaining in contact with entities in Brazil in case that door opens.

5. Following up on new information that an EU country may be ready to extend a small number of long term visas to people from Afghanistan.

In an era when so many doors are closing for refugees, the question we keep asking is how safe shelter can still be secured. For Bernard, that might mean a student visa. It might mean a different way of getting to class. It might mean a visa application that finally goes through. It might, sadly, mean leaving the university and finding a different place to live.

Bernard remains hopeful and keeps going. We are inspired by his tenacity, and we wanted you to know exactly where things stand.

Thank you for staying with Bernard through this. Your support has carried him this far, and we will keep you updated as we learn more.