An Afghan refugee holds a sign up during a protest to highlight their status as asylum seekers in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on November 11, 2021. (PHOTO / AFP)

Former Afghanistan Army Major Muhammad Yasin, 32, is disappointed and distressed over the way the US Army abandoned him after he fought alongside them in his homeland, he told China Daily in an exclusive video interview from a refugee camp in Germany.

Yasin received his commission in the Afghanistan Army on Aug 29, 2009 when he was 18-years-old. He was young, full of energy, and deemed himself fortunate to receive training from United States forces. From 2009 to 2021, Yasin fought alongside NATO and US forces against the Taliban.

On June 27, 2021, while on a routine patrol alongside the US Army, Yasin and his convoy were attacked by the Taliban in the outskirts of Kabul. Despite being shot in his legs and arm, Yasin fought alongside the American soldiers. He was subsequently taken to a hospital in Kabul for treatment until reinforcement arrived.

Yasin has voiced his demand for justice and recognition, calling for an apology from the US government for their failure to provide compensation and support to soldiers like him

"I sustained bullet injuries solely to protect my fellow American soldiers. I was taken to a hospital in Kabul for treatment. Shockingly, the Americans left Afghanistan without even informing me and many others like me. We had no knowledge of their plans. The US Army abandoned me and thousands of others," Yasin said.

By the time he was discharged from the hospital in December 2021, the situation had drastically changed. After the Taliban took control following the US withdrawal, Yasin and thousands of other Afghanistan Army personnel were left abandoned. Not only did he lose his job, but he also faced the looming threat.

Yasin wrote letters to the US and European countries seeking asylum but received no response.

One day, “I came across a human smuggler who promised to take me to Germany. It was a month-long, yet dangerous journey by road and sea. I consider myself lucky to have ended up in Germany, as many of the group lost their lives on the way. I never imagined life would treat me this way," Yasin said.

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That was January 2023, and the smuggler helped him via Iran, Turkey, and Greece. On Feb 13, Yasin arrived in Germany, where he has since been languishing in a refugee camp, which is situated in the outskirts of Berlin.

"I have been constantly hiding, fearing the Taliban who took control after the US withdrawal,” he said.

Frustrated and disillusioned, Yasin sought refuge in Germany, hoping to find safety and solace for himself and his family. However, life as an undocumented refugee has been far from easy. Living in a refugee camp, he has faced numerous challenges and uncertainties, unsure of what the future holds for him and his loved ones.

As a refugee in Berlin, things are not good, according to Yasin. They are provided two meals a day, however, not being allowed to work or going into city.

Despite his difficult circumstances, Yasin has refused to be silenced. He recognized that his story was not his alone, but the story of countless Afghan soldiers who fought alongside US forces, only to be abandoned when they needed support the most.

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Yasin has voiced his demand for justice and recognition, calling for an apology from the US government for their failure to provide compensation and support to soldiers like him.

"Americans have destroyed our future. They owe not only me but the entire Afghan nation an apology," Yasin said.

Yasin said he firmly believed that it is not just he who deserves an apology but the Afghan nation as a whole. The countless lives lost, sacrifices made, and struggles endured by the Afghan people in the face of terrorism and conflict need to be acknowledged by those who were once their allies, he said.

Yasin has continued to fight for his rights, refusing to let his injuries define him or determine his family's future. He said that his four children and his wife, living in poverty back in Afghanistan, are depending on him to secure a better life for them.

"I am uncertain about what the future holds for my family. I worry about my children and wife back in Afghanistan. The Americans have snatched away our future. They owe us an apology," he said, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.