Reuters has reported that following the cessation of U.S. financial aid to Afghanistan, the process of transferring Afghan citizens for resettlement in the United States has been completely “halted,” and even the centers established under this process are being “closed.”
The news agency reported that an official from the U.S. State Department, who oversees the resettlement process for Afghans in the United States, along with two other sources, stated that this process will be closed by April 2025; a development that could potentially deprive 200,000 Afghan citizens of starting a new life in the U.S.
The report mentioned that this process includes family members of Afghan-American military personnel, children who were allowed to join their parents, relatives of Afghans who had previously been accepted in the U.S., and tens of thousands of other Afghans who served the U.S. government during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
Shawn VanDeWalle, a U.S. veteran and founder of “Afghan Evac,” which coordinates the resettlement of Afghans with the U.S. government, described the decision to completely halt this process as a “national disgrace, a betrayal of Afghan allies, and veterans who fought at America’s request.”
The Office of Coordination for Afghan Resettlement was established in August 2021 with the aim of transferring Afghans whose lives were at risk following the return of the current regime in Afghanistan.
This process became permanent in October 2022 and has so far assisted in the resettlement of 118,000 Afghans.
According to reports, the halt of the resettlement process for Afghans to the U.S. also includes closing the Afghan resettlement center in Qatar, where nearly three thousand Afghans have been stranded for weeks or months as they await resettlement in the U.S. as refugees or with special immigration visas.
Among these Afghans in Qatar are over 20 unaccompanied minors who wish to join their families.
Reuters has reported that the plan to completely close the Afghan resettlement process is now being sent for signature and implementation to Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State.
The report stated that Mr. Rubio, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Michael Waltz, a former special forces soldier who fought in Afghanistan, will make the final decision on this matter.
It is worth noting that over the past three years, the U.S. has utilized countries such as Pakistan, the UAE, Qatar, the Philippines, Kosovo, and Albania as transit centers for migrants from Afghanistan.
