KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to reports about the possible transfer of Afghan refugees by the United States from Qatar to the Republic of Congo, has stated that these individuals can “confidently” return to Afghanistan.
The ministry said today (Saturday, April 25) in a statement that “according to media reports, a number of our compatriots who were waiting in the State of Qatar for U.S. visas have been told to choose between returning to their home country or residing in a third country.”
The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it “once again assures its compatriots that Afghanistan is the shared home of all Afghans and invites these compatriots and others facing similar circumstances to return, as their country’s doors are open to them and they can come back with confidence.”
The ministry added that “if anyone intends to travel to another country, they can do so at an appropriate time through legal and dignified means.”
The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the group “within the framework of bilateral consular relations and a structured mechanism, is ready for any kind of cooperation with all countries to protect the rights of its compatriots and emphasizes to all parties that there is currently no security threat for anyone in Afghanistan and no one is forced to leave the country due to security threats.”
Recently, The New York Times reported that the United States is negotiating with the Republic of Congo to transfer Afghan refugees from Qatar to that country.
These refugees include interpreters and former collaborators of U.S. forces and institutions in Afghanistan, and among them are 400 children.
Shawn VanDiver, head of the organization “Afghan Evac,” told The New York Times that according to the U.S. plan, Afghan refugees are given two options: to choose between returning to Afghanistan and living under Taliban rule or going to the Republic of Congo.
This news directly connects to the earlier report about Afghan refugees stranded in Qatar and the Taliban’s claims that they can safely return to Afghanistan. According to recent developments, several U.S. lawmakers have strongly criticized a reported Trump administration plan to relocate more than 1,100 Afghan nationals—who previously worked with U.S. forces—from a facility in Qatar to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
These individuals include interpreters, former Afghan special forces members, and their families, many of whom were promised resettlement in the United States after passing security checks. However, the proposed relocation has raised serious concerns in the U.S. Congress, with lawmakers warning that it could endanger lives and damage U.S. credibility.
Moreover, the situation highlights the growing uncertainty faced by Afghan evacuees, many of whom are now caught between conflicting political decisions and shifting migration policies. While the Taliban continue to assure safe return and claim that Afghanistan is secure for all citizens, international reports and past incidents of detention and rights violations have created widespread fear among returnees.
More than 190,000 Afghans have been resettled in the United States since 2021 following the Taliban’s return to power, but thousands remain in third countries, including Qatar and Pakistan, awaiting decisions on their cases.
The uncertainty has grown since November 2025, when the U.S. government suspended its humanitarian visa programme for Afghan nationals after the killing of a member of the U.S. National Guard by an Afghan citizen in Washington, leaving many applicants in limbo.
The proposed relocation to Congo comes as the Trump administration faces ongoing pressure from lawmakers and advocacy groups to resume the processing of Afghan cases and establish clearer pathways for former U.S. allies seeking resettlement.
Approximately 1,100 Afghan refugees were transferred to Qatar in 2024 to undergo further assessments before being resettled in the United States, but following the cancellation of the Afghan refugee admission program by the Trump administration, these refugees have been left in uncertainty and limbo.
Although the Taliban assure their safe return to Afghanistan, the group has, over the past more than four years, repeatedly detained and imprisoned former collaborators of U.S. forces and institutions in Afghanistan.
The group has also repeatedly detained and imprisoned refugees after their return from Iran and Pakistan and has been widely accused of human rights violations, arbitrary arrests, and the killing of former officials and military personnel.
These developments underscore a deep trust deficit between Afghan refugees and the Taliban authorities, raising serious concerns among international organizations about the safety and future of returnees. The situation also reflects broader challenges in refugee protection, as geopolitical decisions and shifting migration policies continue to leave thousands of vulnerable Afghans in prolonged uncertainty.
