Fatima and her young son fled their home soon after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.
A former lawmaker, she was in danger of reprisals from the hard-line Islamist group.
But three years after the Taliban takeover, Fatima lives with her 7-year-old son in limbo in Albania, waiting to be resettled to the United States.
"The uncertainty is excruciating," said the single mother, whose name has been changed to protect her identity. "Our futures are hanging in the balance."
Fatima was among the hundreds of thousands of at-risk Afghans who escaped their homeland after the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government and the Taliban's seizure of power.
The United States and its allies airlifted tens of thousands of Afghans out of the country during the chaotic and deadly evacuation of Kabul.
Fatima was among those who fled by road to neighboring Pakistan. From there, several thousand Afghans were relocated temporarily to Albania as they waited for their U.S. visas to be processed.
But three years on from the Taliban takeover, dozens of Afghans remain stranded in the small Balkan country.
Afghans evacuated from Kabul in Tirana in August 2021
"It is painful not to know what's wrong with my case," said Fatima, who lives in an apartment in the capital, Tirana. "Why is it being delayed?"
According to the State Department, more than 160,000 Afghans have been resettled in the United States under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program since September 2021. SIVs are intended for Afghans who served the U.S. government or U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan for at least one year.
U.S. allies in the West have also taken in tens of thousands of Afghans.
Afghans who do not qualify for SIVs can apply for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which gives special priority status for Afghans who worked for U.S.-government funded projects in Afghanistan, interpreters for the U.S. government, and stringers for U.S.-based media organizations.
The application process for SIVs and resettlement through USRAP can take years, and advocacy groups have said the programs are proceeding too slowly.
That has meant that thousands of Afghans hoping to resettle in the United States have remained in extended limbo in third countries, including in Albania, Kosovo, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
'Adding To Our Anxiety'
Fatima admits she is lucky to be alive. But she also revealed that the uncertainty has taken a toll on her.
"I never even took a pill for a headache," she said. "But I now take medication three times a day."
The former member of parliament is not allowed to work. She makes ends meet with the help of a Washington-based nongovernmental organization. Her son attends a local school, although the language barrier has deprived him of a meaningful education, she said.
Fatima is not alone.
Ahad, a former Afghan military officer, is among the around 40 Afghans stranded in Albania.
In 2021, Albania welcomed thousands of Afghans to stay until their resettlement cases are processed.
Ahad, who requested his real name not be used for security reasons, lives with his four children and wife in a resort town along the Adriatic coast.
Each member of the family receives a $50 monthly stipend from the UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR. But Ahad says the money is barely enough to pay the rent for their small apartment.
"Mounting financial problems are adding to our anxiety," he said.
Unable to work, Ahad says he has accumulated debts to local shopkeepers from whom he has received food and other essential items.
'Why Have They Left Us Here?'
The U.S. State Department says the cases of Afghans in Albania are being considered under the U.S. refugee program.
"We are focused on increasing capacity, expediting processing, and resolving long-delayed applications," a U.S. State Department spokesperson told RFE/RL in written comments. "While continuing to maintain the program's rigorous screening and vetting standard."
The spokesperson said the State Department is "issuing SIVs to Afghan partners at record rates."
In the last U.S. fiscal year that ended in September 2023, the State Department issued more than 18,000 SIVs to Afghans, the most in a single year, the spokesperson said.
"In this fiscal year (FY2024), we have already surpassed that figure," the spokesperson added.
But the assurances from Washington have not quelled the concerns of Afghans stuck in Albania.
"Why have they left us here when they even evacuated animals from Afghanistan?" said Fatima, referring to the British government's evacuation of animals from Kabul in 2021 even as London left behind thousands of at-risk Afghans who had worked with the British military.
Going back to Afghanistan is not an option for Fatima or Ahad.
The Taliban declared a general amnesty shortly after seizing power that included all Afghan officials, security forces, and individuals who cooperated with the departed U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan.
But international rights watchdogs and the United Nations have documented widespread cases of retribution including extrajudicial killings and torture.
Ahad says if he does not qualify for resettlement to the United States, Washington should help him move to a third country.
"I want our misfortune to end," he said.