Afghans who fled their home country after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 are pleading with the United States to reconsider its decision to halt all existing refugee resettlement efforts.
On Wednesday, backlash continued over an executive order Trump signed two days earlier, on his first day in office.
The order called for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which resettles refugees, to be suspended starting January 27, as well as all applications and admissions through the program.
But with the sudden suspension of USRAP, Afghan refugees, many of whom have already been approved to enter the United States, are left in limbo, facing instability and threats of violence.
Mahnoush Monir, a former medical student and teacher at a language center in Afghanistan, fled to Pakistan after the Taliban closed down the school where he worked.
Since taking power, the Taliban have severely restricted women’s rights, even banning them from speaking in public.
Monir expressed surprise at Trump’s actions in an article published by The Associated Press on Wednesday. She told the news agency that women would struggle to “survive” under Taliban rule.
“I never expected a suspension like this to happen,” Monir said. “Long waiting periods raise very unfortunate possibilities, such as being deported to Afghanistan or waiting long periods in Pakistan as an exposed refugee, but this does not mean that all case retention It’s a nightmare for everyone.”
US ‘owes a huge debt to Afghans’
Some questioned whether the U.S. was abdicating its responsibility to the Afghan people, for whom it has supported a 20-year military presence.
Thousands of Afghans have cooperated with the U.S. military and the U.S.-backed government during the 20-year war in Afghanistan. After the US-backed government collapsed in August 2021, many feared retaliation from the Taliban and hoped to find safe haven in the US.
Arash Azizada, co-founder of the US-based advocacy group Afghanistan for a Better Tomorrow, said: “Cancel flights for Afghans and other refugees who have been allowed and vetted into the US. President Trump’s decision to do so is cruel, ugly and racist.” he told Al Jazeera in a text message.
“This decision ensures that Afghans seeking safety will be targeted, imprisoned, tortured, and worse under the brutal Taliban rule. We owe a huge debt, and we’re going to make sure America pays that debt long after this administration ends.”
Another advocacy group, Afghanistan USRAP Refugees, published an open letter to President Trump and members of Congress calling for action.
“Many of us risked our lives to support the U.S. mission as interpreters, contractors, human rights defenders, and allies,” the letter said.
He warned that refugees also faced dangerous conditions across the Afghan border in Pakistan.
“The situation in Pakistan is becoming increasingly untenable. Arbitrary arrests, deportations and insecurity are exacerbating our suffering.”
big demand
An estimated 15,000 Afghans are currently awaiting resettlement approval in neighboring Pakistan. Some have waited years and spent countless hours navigating the complex bureaucracy of the U.S. immigration system.
Some have traveled to South America to seek asylum, making the perilous journey north to the U.S.-Mexico border.
The United Nations has called the situation in Afghanistan “one of the world’s most pressing crises.” It is predicted that more than 500,000 Afghans will need resettlement in 2025.
More than 160,000 Afghans have entered the country since August 2021, according to a US State Department report. Still, advocates criticized former President Joe Biden’s administration for delaying immigration decisions.
Mr. Trump, who replaced Mr. Biden on Monday, campaigned on a platform of severely restricting immigration to the United States. During his first term, from 2017 to 2021, Republican leaders also implemented a ban on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, a policy that critics dubbed the “Muslim ban.” is.
In Monday’s executive order, President Trump defended his actions as necessary and portrayed the U.S. as overwhelmed with arrivals.
“The United States lacks the capacity to welcome large numbers of immigrants, particularly refugees, into its communities without compromising the resources available to Americans,” the executive order said.
It is unclear when or if USRAP will reopen. President Trump requested a report on the plan at the end of 90 days, and at the end of every 90-day period thereafter until he determines that “it is in the interest of the United States to restart USRAP.”
The announcement caused anxiety among U.S. residents, including military personnel whose families are still in Afghanistan or refugee camps.
“I think about this all day long,” said an Afghan-American soldier with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
His sister remains in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. “I can’t even work properly because I’m affected mentally.”
