Afghanistan, refugees - Loulou d’Aki Visual artist and photographer

Men dressed for Eid, in an amusement park by the Qargha Dam. Many of the deportees feel alienated in the Afghan society and find it difficult to adapt to life here after their time in Europe.

In Europe, Afghans represent 20% of the refugees who arrived in 2015, the second largest group behind the Syrians. Since January 2017, like Sweden and Germany, many European countries have started to implement the agreement from October 2016 between the European Union (EU) and the Afghan authorities, for the expulsion of 80,000 Afghan refugees denied asylum. In exchange, Kabul will receive 5 billion euros by 2020.

After being deported from Sweden and Germany where they lived for long periods of time, the young men must adapt to the harsh realities of daily life in Afghanistan which include violence and attacks. They left behind their friends, sometimes their spouses and children and find themselves stuck in a country which feels neither like a home or a country which can provide them with a future.

Yaqub Sayed at the entry of his hotel where he lives since he was deported

from Germany without any explanation. He mostly stays inside and says that the neighbourhood is full of Talibans.

Yaqub Saidi in his temporary hotel room where he has been staying since deported from Germany.

Yaqub Said’s transit pass for return to Afghanistan. He says he does not know why he was deported from Germany and left a fiancée behind.

A man sits in the common area of the hotel in Kabul where Yaqub stays since he was deported to Afghanistan. He rarely goes outside and says that the area is full of Talibans.

The entrance to the hotel where Yaqub is temporarily staying in Kabul.

aqub speaks to a vegetable vendor in the market below the hotel where he is temporarily staying.

Men in traditional clothes stand around in the Zoo on the second day of Eid celebrations. Many deportees find it difficult to adapt to Afghan society after their time in Europe.

Abdol Ghafoor in his office. He was once deported from Norway and decided to start an NGO to help lonely minors who return to Afghanistan.

Girlands for people returning from Mecca, hang in a shop in the terminal of departures and arrivals next to Kabul airport.

When deportees return they are on their own from here and since many of them have no close family in the country, nobody to greet them at their arrival.

Two men in the waiting area of the airport, look towards a corner where metal scraps from the Soviet occupation lie in a heap.

A picture of one of the victims from the Hazara Englightment movement attack in July 2016, on the graveyard where most of them are buried.

Visitors at a cemeteray on the outskirts of Kabul, where victims from the Englightment movement are buried.

A phone picture of Basir Sharifi taken just after the deportation to Afghanistan in October 2016.

Afraid of the Talibans, he went to stay up in the mountains for two weeks.

Basir Sharifi fled Ghazni and the Taliban threat to look for a better life in Sweden. He was hoping to get asylum and bring his wife, mother and syblings but was deported back to Afghanistan on Octboer the 18th 2016. Now he mostly stays at home since he is afraid to get in trouble with the Talibans and he is hoping to find a way to go back to Sweden eventually.

Lions are being watched through a fence at the Zoo during Eid holiday. The Lion and the sun is one of the main emblems of Iran and could be interpreted as a metaphor for the Shia Imam Ali.

Many men being deported from Europe to Afghanistan have lived as refugees in Iran and have never been to Afghanistan before.

Street vendors hang prayer carpets for sale on a fence next to the park in Share Now, Kabul.

A phone picture of Yawa Said’s wife and son who are still in Sweden. Despite the law against breaking up families, Yawa was deported alone.

Yama Said poses for a portrait in the room his aunt set up for him.

He was deported from Sweden and left behind his wife and son.

Javad holds up a phone picture from his time in Sweden.

Javad has been wearing the same clothes since he was deported from Sweden and carries his few belongings in a plastic bag from the Swedish pharmacy.

He says he has taken up fighting since it is the only way to earn a bit of money.

Boys carrying jugs of water, walk past a sign which says: Long life Afghanistan, on top of a hill at sunset.