Bernard's story, and a looming deadline

As he logged onto our Zoom call, we saw gray walls and a door behind him. Bernard told us he was still at the university, having just finished an exam, and realized it was time for the call. He didn't want to miss talking to us, so he sat down on the floor right there to visit.

Bernard is a refugee from Afghanistan currently attending a university in Pakistan. He fled his home country after witnessing the murder of his father and his brother. He was being sought by the Taliban himself, and his mother and sister were threatened too. His mother begged him to leave before he was harmed. So he fled.

After applying and receiving refugee status from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Bernard needed a reason to be in Pakistan and a safer place to stay. He applied to a university and was accepted. He dreams of finishing his education and becoming a businessperson, one who builds something that provides for other people who have been persecuted, the way he has been.

He had finished all the paperwork for UNHCR and had been referred to the United States Refugee Admissions Program. We agreed to sponsor Bernard for resettlement to the United States through the Welcome Corps, a private sponsorship program through the State Department. He hoped that once he arrived, he could finally help his mother, who remains alone and harassed daily by authorities trying to find out where he is.

That hope came to an abrupt halt on January 27 of last year, when an Executive Order suspended all refugee applications, no matter how far along they were. Bernard was heartbroken. The situation for Afghans in Pakistan kept deteriorating, and on numerous occasions he narrowly avoided deportation, which would have put him in serious danger.

Since then we have been knocking on doors.

A university in Canada accepted him and we paid his tuition up front, but he was denied a visa. We tried England, France, Belgium, Italy, and Spain, all without success.

We also explored Brazil, with no path forward there either.

Finally, a university in Hungary accepted him.

But each time he completed the paperwork they required, another requirement appeared. Right now, he needs a valid student visa from Pakistan. He is in good standing and still attending classes, but Pakistan will not issue it. If he does not receive that visa before the end of this month, he loses this opportunity entirely.

We still see Bernard every week on Zoom. He has grown to love our family, and we love him too. He stays hopeful, even as he carries real worry about his situation. What he wants most is an education that lets him help others who have faced what he has faced, and a way to bring his mother somewhere safe.

Bernard gave us his permission to share his story with you. Bernard is not his real name. We've changed it to keep him and his family safe.

So how can you help?

We're one week into our campaign to raise $7,000 this month, and thanks to gifts like yours, we're already just shy of $4,000 raised. Every one of those efforts—the applications, the tuition payments, the visa attempts across seven countries—has taken money and persistence to pursue. Your support is what makes it possible for us to keep trying every door, even after six of them close. It's what covers Bernard's monthly room and board, his tuition, and his support while he waits in Pakistan. Every gift moves him, and others like him, closer to safety.

If Bernard's story moves you and you are able to give to The Off Ramp, we would be so grateful for your support.

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