Chosen

A number of Afghani families are nervously waiting in the yard of the UNCHR offices in Tehran. Some of them have come from faraway cities in Iran. They all have one thing in common: they wish to go to Finland. However, when asked, many confess that they know nothing about the country. In fact some of them are hearing the name for the very first time. There are over 3 million Afghans in Iran and Finland is accepting only 200 refugees. Being chosen to go to Europe, for these Afghans, is like winning the lottery. Meanwhile, US forces have begun bombarding Afghanistan and the Taliban are withdrawing from Afghan cities. A delegation representing the Finnish authorities has arrived in Tehran to interview the candidates. The lucky few will move to Finland to start a new life; those rejected will continue to struggle for a decent life in Iran, or have to go back to Afghanistan. Khaled, a 12-year-old Afghan boy and his family are among those pre-selected by UNHCR.