KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Over 1,600 Afghans approved for resettlement in the US are reportedly having their flights canceled following an executive order signed by Donald Trump, the newly sworn-in President of the United States.
The order, titled Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program, was one of many signed hours after Trump’s inauguration on Monday, January 20. The order indefinitely suspends the resettlement of all refugees to the US and halts the submission of new applications.
According to Reuters, the suspension affects Afghan refugees approved for travel to the US between now and April. It also impacts thousands of other Afghans approved for resettlement but not yet assigned flights, including those stranded in Pakistan.
Among those affected are nearly 200 family members of Afghan American active-duty military personnel, around 200 unaccompanied children of Afghan refugees or Afghan parents evacuated to the US, and Afghans facing Taliban retaliation for supporting the former Afghan government backed by the US.
The White House and the US Department of State, which oversee the US refugee programs, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The decision has sparked panic among Afghans awaiting resettlement and those with pending applications, as well as advocates. Many fear severe consequences for those who supported the US government’s two-decade involvement in Afghanistan and for those at risk of Taliban retaliation.
Shawn VanDiver, a US navy veteran and founder of AfghanEvac, an organization advocating for Afghan refugee resettlement, voiced concern over the decision. He said it threatens to undermine a promise made to Afghans by the US government, including by Trump.
“We can’t afford to leave these folks behind, right? These folks are in hiding there,” Shawn told the Guardian. “There are probably tens of thousands of people whose lives are at risk because of their association with the United States,” he added.
“Failing to protect our Afghan allies sends a dangerous message to the world: that US commitments are conditional and temporary,” AfghanEvac said in a statement following the executive order. “This decision undermines global trust in our leadership and jeopardizes future alliances.”
Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, tens of thousands of Afghans and their families were evacuated during a major airlift operation. Since then, nearly 200,000 Afghans have been relocated to the US under the previous administration.
However, thousands of at-risk Afghans remain stranded in Afghanistan or neighboring countries, mainly in Pakistan, awaiting US visas. As of last year, about 150,000 SIV applications remain unprocessed.
In addition to the SIV program, there are two other refugee designations for Afghans: PI and P2. These programs are designed for aid workers, journalists, and others who, while not directly employed by the US government, contributed to promoting democracy and independent media during the US involvement in Afghanistan. According to the Associated Press, around 27,400 applicants have applied for the PI and P2 programs, but only a small number have been processed and relocated to the US.
