Ex-Afghan Minister Became Bicycle Courier in Germany

The 49-year-old British-Afghan dual citizen left office in 2018 after having served in the Afghan government for two years.

He had quit the Afghan government because of disagreements with members of the president’s circle, Al Jazeera reported.

“I hope other politicians also follow the same path, working with the public rather than just hiding.”

His story has gained particular prominence with the chaos unfolding at home after the Taliban takeover.

With the withdrawal of US troops on the horizon, the number of Afghan asylum seekers in Germany has risen since the beginning of the year, jumping by more than 130 percent, data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees showed.

Even though Sadaat's dual citizenship meant he could have chosen to move to the United Kingdom, where he had spent much of his life, he relocated to Germany at the end of 2020, seizing his last opportunity to do so before that path was closed by Britain’s exit from the European Union.

He chose Germany because he expected it to have a better economic future and a leading role in the telecom and IT sectors in the long term.