He helped save the lives of UK troops and displayed extraordinary courage under fire against the Taliban – yet was cruelly rejected when he sought refuge in Britain.
But now the years-long ordeal of Afghan interpreter Fardin Yarri and his family is at an end as they begin a new life in this country, thanks to the Mail's Betrayal of the Brave campaign.
The faces of the translator, his wife Marzia and their six children are lit up with an increasing sense of relief and eventual joy in our inspiring series of pictures showing their journey to the UK.
Arriving in Britain, Fardin and his family are now quarantining in a hotel in Manchester, and the gleeful happiness of the former interpreter and his daughter Faryal, five, is palpable as they play in their bedroom
Hundreds of former translators and their families hope to arrive Britain in the coming weeks in the biggest rescue operation by the UK in nearly 50 years
The family took the ten-hour 'Freedom Flight' from the airport at Kabul. There were many empty seats on some of the flights, much to the dismay of translators on board who feared colleagues were being needlessly left behind.
However, the Ministry of Defence said passenger numbers were restricted because of limits on aircraft payloads.
Arriving in Britain, Fardin and his family are now quarantining in a hotel in Manchester, and the gleeful happiness of the former interpreter and his daughter Faryal, five, is palpable as they play in their bedroom.
Speaking yesterday, Fardin, 40, said it was 'a dream come true'.
Just a week ago he was worrying that Taliban gunmen would make him their latest victim after a series of killings since US and UK forces pulled out. He said: 'I had forgotten what safety felt like.
'Only those who have lived with fear can know truly how good finally finding safety feels, especially as a husband and father – it brought tears of happiness.'
Fardin is the first translator from a Freedom Flight to be pictured unpixellated. He said: 'We no longer have a need to hide. I want to show a happy Afghan family to the people of Britain and to your readers who supported us.'
Hundreds of former translators and their families hope to arrive Britain in the coming weeks in the biggest rescue operation by the UK in nearly 50 years.
'Afghanistan is falling apart and everyone who worked for the British and the
