Afghan refugees play the waiting game in neighbouring Tajikistan

While some Afghan refugees are trying to rebuild their lives in Tajikistan, away from the dangers they faced across the border, others dream of starting new lives abroad.

Tajikistan has taken in an estimated 10,000 Afghan refugees, but they are not allowed to live in any of the major cities.

Former English teacher Bibikhawa Zaki, 25, who fled Afghanistan with her family a few months before the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, says she wants to leave Tajikistan for Canada, which has pledged to take in 40,000 Afghan refugees.