Afghans Evacuated by the US Still Stranded in Overseas Camps – Report
According to human rights activists, they have been waiting to enter America since Washington's withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Human rights activists assert that Afghan citizens evacuated by the U.S. during the tumultuous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 have been waiting to enter America and remain stranded in approximately 36 countries, often in conditions resembling imprisonment. This claim is supported by new documents released by various human rights organizations on Tuesday.
According to a joint press release from the Center for Constitutional Rights, Abolitionist Law Center, and Muslim Advocates, “Hundreds to thousands” of Afghans who fled during the Taliban takeover continue to be “detained or stranded” while their applications to enter the U.S. remain pending.
The documents indicate that Afghan civilians have reported ongoing uncertainty spanning months to years. “Rather, correspondence from Afghan civilians and investigations by human rights groups confirm uncertainty for months up to years on end,” the report states.
These records provide a timeline up to the fall of 2023, revealing Washington’s participation in operations at these locations where human rights violations have been documented. Reports include “cases of family separation,” denial of access to humanitarian organizations, and “inhumane conditions,” resulting in significant “trauma and mental health crises.”
The documents were obtained by these organizations following legal action against the Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security, as reported by The Guardian.
Sadaf Doost, an attorney and program manager at the Abolitionist Law Center, explained to the newspaper that advocates filed records requests to gather information about the conditions in several locations where they knew Afghans were held. He noted that the documents indicated those evacuated have been “detained, held, or otherwise forced to remain in limbo” in around 36 countries.
While the documents do not specify how many of these nations are hosting evacuees under such circumstances, they mention “makeshift holding facilities” for Afghans in Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Italy, and Germany.
“One document shows, for example, that US officials allowed a facility in Qatar to hold 4,000 people even though the recommended limit for ‘safe and humane accommodations’ was 2,600,” the release highlighted.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department informed The Guardian that efforts to resettle eligible Afghans have been in place since 2021, noting that applicants are “allowed to be present on third country platforms with the permission of the host country” while their cases are processed. The spokesperson added that the U.S. had issued 33,000 special immigrant visas for Afghans in 2024.
The withdrawal, initiated by then-President Donald Trump after a 20-year military endeavor that resulted in significant financial costs and loss of lives, was completed under President Joe Biden. Washington has faced widespread criticism over the evacuation efforts, particularly for leaving thousands of allied Afghans behind and the loss of 13 American service members during the chaotic process.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan led to the displacement of 3.5 million people in 2021 alone.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
According to a joint press release from the Center for Constitutional Rights, Abolitionist Law Center, and Muslim Advocates, “Hundreds to thousands” of Afghans who fled during the Taliban takeover continue to be “detained or stranded” while their applications to enter the U.S. remain pending.
The documents indicate that Afghan civilians have reported ongoing uncertainty spanning months to years. “Rather, correspondence from Afghan civilians and investigations by human rights groups confirm uncertainty for months up to years on end,” the report states.
These records provide a timeline up to the fall of 2023, revealing Washington’s participation in operations at these locations where human rights violations have been documented. Reports include “cases of family separation,” denial of access to humanitarian organizations, and “inhumane conditions,” resulting in significant “trauma and mental health crises.”
The documents were obtained by these organizations following legal action against the Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security, as reported by The Guardian.
Sadaf Doost, an attorney and program manager at the Abolitionist Law Center, explained to the newspaper that advocates filed records requests to gather information about the conditions in several locations where they knew Afghans were held. He noted that the documents indicated those evacuated have been “detained, held, or otherwise forced to remain in limbo” in around 36 countries.
While the documents do not specify how many of these nations are hosting evacuees under such circumstances, they mention “makeshift holding facilities” for Afghans in Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Italy, and Germany.
“One document shows, for example, that US officials allowed a facility in Qatar to hold 4,000 people even though the recommended limit for ‘safe and humane accommodations’ was 2,600,” the release highlighted.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department informed The Guardian that efforts to resettle eligible Afghans have been in place since 2021, noting that applicants are “allowed to be present on third country platforms with the permission of the host country” while their cases are processed. The spokesperson added that the U.S. had issued 33,000 special immigrant visas for Afghans in 2024.
The withdrawal, initiated by then-President Donald Trump after a 20-year military endeavor that resulted in significant financial costs and loss of lives, was completed under President Joe Biden. Washington has faced widespread criticism over the evacuation efforts, particularly for leaving thousands of allied Afghans behind and the loss of 13 American service members during the chaotic process.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan led to the displacement of 3.5 million people in 2021 alone.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
