Seeking Asylum: An Afghan Student Stranded in Reno, Nevada

Anwar, 24, a 2021 transfer, is the only Afghan student pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. When Anwar first came to the United States in 2019, he still had plans to go back to his country and help explore the mineral wealth there. However, when the Taliban took over in 2021, his dreams of going back and setting up a business there were shattered. “I wanted to pursue mining and metallurgical engineering because universities back home did not offer that degree. I wanted to help build an income source that could help the economy of my country,” Anwar says. He has now turned his attention to getting asylum here and being able to stay beyond his degree. Find out more about his hopes and ordeals in this podcast episode with Kingkini Sengupta. “Going back to Afghanistan is not safe anymore,” he says.