‘Our lives are in danger’: Afghans queue up to get passports

Afghans who have the means to escape the conflict look for a way out as officials report a spike in passport applications.

Like thousands of his compatriots, Abdel Khalid Nabyar waited outside Afghanistan’s main passport office to apply for the precious travel document that would allow him to leave the war-torn nation. With the Taliban making huge advances in the countryside as foreign forces wind up their withdrawal, many Afghans – those with the means, at least – are looking for a way out. “If the situation worsens, we might have to leave,” said Nabyar, 52, who feels particularly vulnerable because he once ran a shop on a NATO military base.