An Afghan journalist who fled the Taliban after the Fall of Kabul has spoken of his new life in Worcester and his hopes for the future.

Zainullah is now living in a flat in the east of Worcester with his wife who is expecting their first child. 

The 24-year-old has been helped by Worcestershire County County Council's resettlement team to find a home and adjust to life in the UK.

He arrived in the UK in October, leaving Afghanistan in late September as he now rebuilds his life in Worcester. 

Worcester News: VITAL: Zainullah was a journalist in Kabul and later played an important role as a media officer for the Ministry of the Interior VITAL: Zainullah was a journalist in Kabul and later played an important role as a media officer for the Ministry of the Interior (Image: Supplied by Zain)

His new life is a world away from the one he left behind where he was shot at by the Taliban while behind the wheel of a Government vehicle.

His brother was stabbed by one of the militants aged just 19 and his family was interrogated by Taliban soldiers who were trying to find him because of his links to the old regime.

The move has also been a wrench for the former journalist and Government official, forced to leave his family - his mum, dad, five brothers and six sisters.

We have agreed to use his first name only because of his concerns further detail could identify him and therefore could put his family and friends at risk from the Taliban.  

"The most important difference between the UK and Afghanistan is that you have freedom and real democracy. In Afghanistan, the last Government says we have democracy but it's not real.

"There are opportunities here for me and my wife. People here are so friendly and so lovely. 

"I feel happy and sad - hard because we lost everything. We're starting life from zero."

Zainullah was born in Logar Province and became a target because he was a media officer for the Ministry of the Interior.

During his work, he had contact with high-ranking officials, including the Minister and the commander of Afghanistan's special forces.

Before that, he was a journalist, working for the daily Sarkhat newspaper and also the Orband, a weekly. The Home Office identified him as having the right to come to the UK because of his military background which included writing reports about meetings. 

The Afghan capital Kabul fell on August 15, 2021, after a major insurgent offensive that began in May 2021. As a result, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan under President Ashraf Ghani was swept away and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was reinstated under the control of the Taliban.

He added: "My life was at risk. Before the Fall of Kabul, they tried to get control of the media. They would arrest people. They would kill people.

"For more than 40 years everything has been wrong, for my whole life. If I remained in Afghanistan I would be worried I would be killed by the Taliban."

Zainullah, a Pashtun, arrived in the UK on October 27, 2021 thanks to support from the community of Afghan journalists. He made contact with the British embassy in Pakistan, remaining in the country for around 35 days before he secured a visa to travel to the UK.

The graduate, who has a degree in language and literature from Kandahar University, is now keen to become a journalist in the UK as he continues to improve his English, taking part in an intensive course to improve his command of the language.

"If the Taliban were not in Afghanistan, I would love to go back," he said.