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WASHINGTON – A small portion of the thousands of Afghans who worked for the U.S. government will be transported directly to the United States, while a larger group will be evacuated to third countries or military bases overseas where their documents visa will be reviewed, three administration officials said. NBC News.
As US troops leave the country, the Biden administration comes under increasing pressure from lawmakers, veterans groups and refugee rights organizations to take action to protect Afghans who face retaliation from the Taliban for their work as an interpreter or other jobs for US troops and diplomats. .
About 2,500 Afghans whose visa applications have gone through security screening will be able to be evacuated directly to a US military base in the United States, along with their family members, a department spokesperson said. State and two Defense officials.
“Shortly after their arrival, once the medical examination is required, their immigration status will be adjusted so that they may be eligible for refugee resettlement benefits that will help them and their families with the resettlement process. “said the spokesperson for the State Department.
Another 10,000 with background checks still pending will be flown to “a US military base overseas or to third countries, where they will be safely accommodated until their immigration processing. be finished, ”the State Department spokesperson said.
Evacuation flights, using chartered civilian planes, are expected to begin within days, two defense officials and two refugee advocates briefed on the matter said.
About 20,000 Afghans who have worked for the U.S. government over the past two decades have applied for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), a program in place for former interpreters, drivers and others at risk of death due to their association with the United States.
Lawmakers from both parties and activists have urged President Joe Biden to send the 20,000 Afghan partners and their families to Guam or other U.S. territory, arguing the bureaucratic process has been marred by relentless delays and time is running out. because the Taliban are gaining ground.
The administration initially said it had no evacuation plan, but as the security situation has deteriorated since Biden announced in April his intention to withdraw all US troops, officials have gradually moved changed their position.
The decision to send only a small number of planes directly to the United States will likely be met with disappointment by refugee advocates and members of Congress, who say Washington has a moral obligation to help evacuate all the Afghans who worked for the United States.
But the administration said half of those 20,000 are only in the initial stages of applying for a visa. The State Department spokesman said “these claimants must take action before the US government can begin processing their case.”
The evacuations will be carried out “before the complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan,” the spokesman said.
The remaining US troops in Afghanistan are due to leave by the end of August.
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