U. S. Lawmakers Meet Afghan Refugees Stranded at Camp in Qatar - EUROPE SAYS
The Kabul Tribune (KT) — KPBS has reported that a group ofU. S. lawmakers met virtually with Afghan refugees stranded at the U. S. -run CampAs Sayliyah in Qatar, where more than 1,100 Afghans have remained for. . .
The Kabul Tribune (KT) — KPBS has reported that a group ofU. S. lawmakers met virtually with Afghan refugees stranded at the U. S. -run CampAs Sayliyah in Qatar, where more than 1,100 Afghans have remained for more thana year after the suspension of U. S. refugee resettlement. According to the report, the refugees were transferred tothe camp in Doha by the U. S. State Department under the Biden administration aspart of the resettlement process. However, the relocation program was haltedafter President Donald Trump suspended refugee admissions upon returning tooffice and later imposed a travel and visa ban on Afghans. KPBS said the camp’s residents include Afghans who supportedU. S. forces during the two-decade war in Afghanistan, along with their familymembers. The nonprofit AfghanEvac estimates that the camp houses more than 400children and 17 pregnant women. The virtual town hall was led by Representative Scott Petersand included Representative Lou Correa and Senator Richard Blumenthal. Duringthe meeting, Afghan refugees told lawmakers they were struggling withdeteriorating mental health and expressed concern about the future of theirchildren. One Afghan mother told lawmakers that she and her threechildren have lived at the camp for one year and seven months, adding that herchildren have been unable to attend school for nearly two years and are fallingbehind in their education. According to KPBS, the camp is scheduled to close at the endof September 2026, while U. S. authorities have reportedly considered relocatingthe refugees to the Democratic Republic of the Congo or returning them toAfghanistan. The report also cited a recent U. S. State Department updateindicating that more than 23,000 Afghan visa applications remain underprocessing, while no Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) have been issued to Afghansthis year. Lawmakers told the refugees they would continue pressingSecretary of State Marco Rubio and other members of Congress to address theirsituation. Tags:Afghan newsafghanistan newsKabul TribunektRefugees