A woman who was forced to flee the Taliban has praised the “warm welcome” she received in Islington - and says she would not go back while the group is still in power.

Shogofa Jamili, 27, was living with her two sisters at their house in Kabul in summer 2021 when the Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital as US and UK forces suddenly withdrew.

All three were able to flee the country via a military transport after receiving help from a journalist at The Guardian.

Shogofa’s sister had worked for the paper in Kabul, putting her and her family at risk.

Speaking of their escape from her homeland, the 27-year-old said: “We didn’t know anything – life was normal there and then suddenly it was shocking news for us when the Taliban took power.

“Everything was so sudden, and we didn’t know what to do. We lost our way.

“My sister was working with The Guardian, and we were just three women living in one house in Afghanistan, which was very hard. It was so scary.”

Arriving in the UK, Shogofa was housed in a hotel in the City of London under the Government’s Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which was open to those deemed most at risk from the Taliban.

After a year living in the hotel, the three sisters received an offer of a home in Archway from Islington Council.

Shogofa – who previously worked as a finance officer for the deposed Afghan government – said she now plans to “build a life” in Islington, and is currently undergoing an apprenticeship with the council.

She added: “I see that in Islington you can find people from anywhere. When you’re going somewhere, it’s not just one race or one colour.

“It’s interesting and I feel very at home here – although the rent is high!”

The 27-year-old recently attended an event to celebrate Islington’s status as an official ‘Borough of Sanctuary’.

The award recognises the quality of the council’s work to support people seeking sanctuary, including its participation in schemes to welcome refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Shogofa, who still has extended family and friends living in Afghanistan, said: “Before, we had jobs and then when we came here everything was gone. We started from zero.

“But we received a very warm welcome from Islington Council, we had a caseworker and they have been supporting us until now."

She added: “I can’t see myself living somewhere that is controlled by those who insult women and don’t respect their rights. I would not go to Afghanistan when the Taliban is there.

“I will try to help the women that are there as much as I can, but I will continue living here and build a life.”