EXCLUSIVE Afghans leave US military bases ahead of relocation

WASHINGTON, Oct.1 (Reuters) – Something unexpected is happening at US military bases hosting Afghan evacuees: Several hundred of them simply leave before receiving US resettlement services, two sources close to the Afghans told Reuters. data.

The number of “independent departures”, which exceed 700 and may be higher, has not been previously reported. But the phenomenon worries immigration advocates concerned about the risks for Afghans who give up what is now an open, complex and completely voluntary resettlement process.

In the speed and chaos of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August after 20 years of war, many evacuees were brought to the US on temporary “humanitarian parole” status. Once transferred to US military bases, refugee resettlement groups and US officials tried to connect people with services for a smooth transition to the United States.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declined to comment on figures provided to Reuters by sources, but said people who had left the bases “generally” had connections to the bases. United States, as family of friends, and resources to support them.

The spokesperson said that in addition, at the start of the operation, many of the evacuees were US citizens, permanent residents or had approved special immigrant visas and were therefore able to leave quickly.

But leaving early could cost other Afghan evacuees essential perks – like expedited work permits – and create a host of legal problems down the road, given the complexity of the U.S. immigration system.

“It’s a giant box of worms,” ​​said a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service official, who requested anonymity.

“It could lead to years and years of terrible immigration status issues.”

The benefits the evacuees have received have so far been more limited than those offered to the refugees. But that looks set to change following legislation passed Thursday by Congress – despite opposition from Republicans – that would give Afghan evacuees the more extensive assistance usually provided to refugees.

“We must do everything in our power to help our Afghan allies get a good start in their new homes,” Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley said in a statement.

The new legislation stipulates that Afghan asylum claims must be expedited. But those who leave U.S. bases prematurely might not get all the legal guidance they need to begin their claims.

ONE-WAY OUTSIDE BASE

Immigration experts say Afghans leaving bases are not breaking US laws and military officials have no legal authority to detain law-abiding Afghans against their will at one of eight sites hosting 53,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban during US evacuation flights.

The scale of independent departures varies from base to base, according to sources – more than 300 in Fort Bliss, Texas alone – a number that may alarm both supporters and critics of the. massive American resettlement operation.

However, US officials point out that all Afghans leaving US bases had already undergone a security check before arriving in the United States. The risk of independent departures is for the Afghans themselves.

Reuters looked at a document called “Departee Information,” intended to warn Afghans who are considering leaving before they have completed their relocation. It reminds them that, on the base, they can have their immigration documents processed and even money to help pay for the trip to their destination in the United States.

“Once you leave this base, you lose those benefits and cannot come back,” it read.

Margaret Stock, an immigration lawyer specializing in military-related cases, said the warning was not ill-intentioned.

“I think they are trying to watch people,” she said.

“The people who run the bases are rightly concerned that someone is not fully aware of the consequences of wandering.”

Afghans leaving US bases can be a tricky issue in parts of the country, especially given the media coverage of security incidents at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, and Fort Bliss.

But General Glen VanHerck, head of Northern Command, rebuffed the idea that crime was a problem on American bases. He told Pentagon reporters on Thursday that the number of incidents involving thefts and thefts was significantly lower than the general population of the United States, with just eight cases in six weeks.

When asked what the limiting factor was for Afghans to be treated for resettlement, VanHerck said it was not about measles or coronavirus vaccinations or security checks.

Instead, it was efforts by US officials to ensure that “each of the Afghan guests has a great place to land and has confidence in where they are going to relocate.”

“So I understand that right now this is the limiting factor in production,” he said.

Reporting by Phil Stewart and Mica Rosenberg; additional reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool

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