Afghans fearing Taliban retribution are forced to decide: stay in hiding or flee.

“Some will be able to navigate Taliban checkpoints to obtain access to airports, which may have a limited number of commercial or chartered flights in the future,” Sifton told Fox News. “But a lot of these people are going to flee over land and present themselves in various places bordering Afghanistan.”

“These people are quite literally without choice fleeing for their lives,” he added.

An Afghan migrant could face as many as 20 Taliban checkpoints during his journey, according to Runde.

At each one, money changes hands, and “you’re running the risk of somebody flagging you for who you are, what you did,” Sifton told Fox News.