Reuters: Flights for 40,000 Afghan Citizens to the U.S. Suspended

4 days ago
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Following the suspension of U.S. foreign aid at the direction of President Donald Trump, flights for over 40,000 Afghan citizens to the United States have been halted.

Reuters reports, citing two American sources, that these individuals include those who were seeking to travel to the United States with Special Immigrant Visas (SIV).

Shawn Vandiver, president of the Refugee Advocacy Coalition, stated that most of the individuals hoping to come to the U.S. are currently in Afghanistan, while others are in Pakistan, Qatar, and Albania.

The report notes that this coalition is working with the U.S. government to evacuate and resettle Afghan citizens who worked for the United States during the 20-year war.

According to Reuters, the order to suspend aid has led to a halt in funding for groups that assist SIV holders in the U.S. with finding housing, education, and employment.

Shawn Vandiver expressed hope that the U.S. government would grant exemptions for SIV holders since they worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan.

The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Vandiver and an unnamed U.S. official stated that the suspension of flights for over 40,000 Afghan citizens, including SIV holders waiting to fly to the United States from visa processing centers in Qatar and Albania, has left them in limbo.

They emphasized that this number includes Afghans approved for SIV who have been waiting in Afghanistan and Pakistan to be placed on U.S.-funded flights to processing centers in Doha and Tirana for their visas.

According to Reuters, since the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in 2021, nearly 200,000 Afghan citizens have been resettled in the United States with SIVs or as refugees.

This comes as Trump signed an executive order last week just hours after his inauguration, suspending all refugee resettlement programs in the United States.

Under his directive, U.S. foreign aid has also been suspended.

According to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), since the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, the United States has provided or made available a total of $21.06 billion in aid to Afghanistan and Afghan refugees.

The report indicates that this funding includes nearly $3.33 billion that the United States has provided for humanitarian and developmental assistance to Afghanistan.

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