Would you pay a shady organization to flee Afghanistan?

Question

I’ll keep this concise but it’s tricky. On Sunday my boyfriend asked me if I could come crash their brunch because his brother and sister in law wanted to ask for my help re her family stuck in Afghanistan. I was just leaving the grocery store (with iced coffee and Ben and Jerry’s in my car in 90 degree weather) but I drove right to them. I am a student in the field of international relations and highly experienced for my age (21). I’ve been going through the process with the US department of State for evacuation of non-US citizens from Kabul and there’s been no news on if they will be flown out. I sent the family an article on this private security guy that publicly is offering 👁$6,500 spots per person on a flight out👁. I advised them that this is the best option at the moment. The US is trying to withdraw by August 31 and it seems too late for evacuation via government help. 
They had dinner together tonight and my bf said they might be interested in 8 tickets for $52,000 paid for between many people. Previously it was 4 people they requested to save through the free way with the government but this is a last hoorah. He said they were seriously interested so I did research. This company, Blackwater, is independent of any state and works to make money as a priority to my understanding. My normal instinct is to avoid war criminals lol (article states that Blackwater men were convicted of killing civilians) but I was tasked with saving my bfs SIL’s father, 2 sisters, and brother and I’m not seeing another path. 
🤦‍♀️personal complications-
I have not been able to meet my bfs parents because his father is an Afghan refugee from the Soviet occupation and comes from an older generation. He’s also in later stage kidney failure and is doing daily home dialysis. My bf believes he could be disowned by his father(and looked down on by his mom) for being a Muslim dating a Jew. His siblings and SIL love me and I would be happy to help. Helping evacuate the family of my bfs SIL would be fantastic all around. Personally and professionally this has strengthened me. I would like to one day marry into the family and our kids would be 50% Afghan and 25% Ashkenazi Jewish by blood which will never change. I’m trying to do right by everyone but this could also start my career. This caliber of dilemma is not something I considered when I willingly leapt into my first relationship. Our different race and religion actually doesn’t cause normal issues. We’re just a very bonded couple after >6 months of even knowing each other.
I’m just stuck- having a family of 1980’s Afghan refugees already in the US digging into their savings to pay a guy like Erik Prince and having him profit off of the terrorism of the Taliban. Currently I’m stuck in an unjust dorm lease and can’t comfortably buy both my most expensive textbook and a parking pass for college. I am representing the family for free at the moment.
Please share any thoughts or comments below. Hoping for a civilized discussion on morals, and when you make an exception to them. I don’t pray, but I am doing my equivalent for all of the lives lost and changed by this disaster.

Answer

Blackwater isn’t even known as Blackwater anymore. It hasn’t been for several years. If someone is representing themselves that way it’s the first red flag. 
Personally I’d pay just about anybody anything to save my loved ones, but sounds all kinda shady, and scammy.

Answer

I have no idea what the best answer is. I wish I did. My heart hurts for them and everyone else stuck there. 
They're all in my prayers. I hope and pray he can get his family to safety as soon as possible.

Answer

First off I’m so sorry your family is in this situation.  Please fact check everything I’m about to say - because this is just my understanding.
It is true that the air evacs are ending soon, but I believe the US & allies are continuing  evacuations by other means after the 31st.  I also understand that any immediate family of a US citizen is eligible to get out (parents, siblings, children).  So there might be hope there, although I’m sure time is a huge factor in this decision.  T
Is this group claiming they can get the family on a plane to the US or claiming to get them to a safe third country?  I would be highly skeptical if they were claiming air evac.  
There also might be an issue getting money there right now, I believe many banks (including western union) has suspended service.  There might be other ways but I’m not sure.
I would do anything and everything I could to get my family out, but I think you’ll have to heavily rely on your gut feelings & intelligence on how to go about this.

Answer

This sounds like a scam. When things sound too good to be true they usually are. I wouldnt put it past a organization known to kill civilians to take the money snd run. If the majority of this family would hate you simply because you are Jewish I can't imagine the backlash if they get scammed out of 50 grand based on your recommendations.

Answer

Public International Law lawyer here: I would not because of my work experience.  I am not going to go into that; if you want I'll share this part privately. 
Things you should take under consideration: people cannot be flown out of Afghanistan just like that. It will be consider human trafficking. Even NGOs that were actively bringing people into the shores of Greece and Italy, had their staff be charged with human trafficking. And of course, people who charge money in Turkey for refugee seekers to find their way into a dingy are considered to be part of human trafficking cartels.
Respectively in this case, if one attempts to bring people who are not in the evacuee list can be charged for human trafficking.
Once the people you are trying to get out reach their destination, they will be processed to evaluate the legitimacy of their claim to an asylum seeker status. Based on the 1951 Refugee convention they will have to be able to substantiate a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. This is 90% of the time very difficult to prove, and they can be held in refugee camps, legally, for an undetermined period of time, until a decision on their status is made. If that is a negative decision, they will be sent back to Afghanistan; it is not a violation of non-refulement, because they will have been determined as not in the categories of people that have a well-founded fear. 
What I would do: try to get them in an evacuee list legally, through the State Department, or through the MOFA of another State that is currently evacuating. Have a lawyer on call for when they get here to make sure they get represented. It's going to be a mahout effort, with no guarantee of success.

Answer

Girl you are in over your head, especially for a family would would disown your boyfriend just because you are Jewish. Don't get mixed up in this mess. 
Oh and they will probably just get swindled. So I would stay out of it.

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I mean, they’re a terrible organization, but there’s not much I wouldn’t do to get out of Kabul right now.

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What do you mean you are “representing them”?

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I know nothing about the company; however, would pay anyone anything I could at the chance of getting my family out of there. To prevent my sister from being raped and murdered I would sell an organ and even throw in a leg. 0 hesitation.

Would you pay a shady organization to flee Afghanistan?

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