Thousands Who Helped the U.S. in Afghanistan Are Trapped. What Happens Next?

Tens of thousands of Afghan nationals risked their lives to help the US military in Afghanistan. Many of them worked as interpreters alongside American soldiers in combat. Now, with the Taliban seizing power, they are more desperate than ever on the run – but a quick and safe passage to the United States could prove elusive.

More than 300,000 Afghan civilians were linked to the American mission during their two decades of presence in the country, according to the International Rescue Committee, but a minority are eligible for refugee protection in the United States.

Among them are those who worked in the U.S. military and qualified them and their families for special immigrant visas. Thousands, however, are stuck in years of arrears that only inflate as the situation on the ground worsens after the withdrawal of American troops.

About 2,000 such people, whose cases had already been approved, arrived in the United States on evacuation flights from the capital, Kabul, which began in July. The youngest arrivals landed on American soil late Sunday before being processed at a military base in Virginia, according to refugee resettlement agencies.

President Biden said in an address to the nation on Monday that there were plans to air freight more Afghan families in the “coming days,” although he did not provide details.

Refugee lawyers said they fear thousands of vulnerable people could be left behind at their own peril as militants increased their hold on Afghan territory. The Taliban have closed the border crossings and are leaving Kabul airport as the only exit from the country.

Those who supported the U.S. mission faced severe retaliation by the Taliban, said Jenny Yang, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief, which has relocated hundreds of special immigrant visa recipients in recent years.

Who are the vulnerable allies?

The United States has employed Afghans since 2002 to assist US troops, diplomats, and relief workers. Many were threatened, kidnapped and attacked because of their connection with the United States, and an unknown number were killed. In response, Congress created special immigrant visa programs to give such workers legal access to the United States.

However, the programs, which enjoy broad bipartisan support, have been affected by processing delays.

Who is eligible for a visa?

Applicants must provide evidence that they have been with the US government or an affiliate for at least two years. Among other things, they must prove that they have provided valuable service by giving a recommendation from an American supervisor. They must also demonstrate that they have experienced or are facing a serious threat as a result of their work for the United States.

How many are waiting to come?

More than 15,000 Afghan nationals and family members have already been relocated to the United States on special immigrant visas, out of a total of 34,500 approved visas.

At least 18,000 people have applications pending and that number is expected to increase significantly given the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

“We have clients who applied 10 years ago,” said Betsy Fisher, director of strategy at the International Refugee Assistance Project. “Some have applied in the past few weeks out of concern for their lives.”

Updated

Aug 16, 2021, 5:55 p.m. ET

Critics say the multi-government US government delayed special immigrant visa approvals by demanding an extraordinary amount of documentation through an awkward 14-step process.

Applicants had an average waiting time of three years, although Congress had ruled that it should not be longer than nine months. Many have been waiting for the outcome of their cases for a decade.

“We see people get into nasty cycles where they get a document, file it, and the review process takes so long that the office needs updated information that can take months or years to review,” said Ms. Fisher.

Additionally, security checks can often take years, she said.

are they considered refugees?

Specialized immigrant visa recipients are entitled to the same resettlement benefits as refugees. You arrive with green cards and can apply for US citizenship after five years. But they are not classified as refugees, nor do they count towards the number of refugees the United States takes in each year.

How does the Biden government solve the crisis?

The US government has evacuated around 2,000 interpreters and their family members since July, whose cases had already been cleared. They were brought from Kabul to the Fort Lee military base south of Richmond, Virginia, and many have since been sent to cities across the country.

However, after the last flight landed on Sunday, refugee resettlement workers were informed that plans to evacuate more Afghans had been suspended.

Garry Reid, a civilian Pentagon official in charge of the evacuation, said Monday that 700 Afghan allies had been evacuated in the past 48 hours. He said the United States would expand by adding more departing Afghans to US military bases, but he didn’t offer a specific schedule.

Last week, US officials announced they would send 1,000 workers to Qatar, where many of those leaving Afghanistan are gathering to expedite visa processing.

“We are aware of the risk they are exposed to and are doing everything we can to do this surgery on a large scale so that we can tackle as many as possible in these very difficult conditions,” said Mr. Reid.

The Biden government had also negotiated with several countries in the Middle East and Central Asia to take in some people temporarily until they could be relocated to the United States.

However, it was not clear whether, given the volatility on the ground, it would be possible, at least for the time being, to evacuate more Afghan allies.

The Biden administration recently announced that it would allow Afghans to use the regular US refugee program, another avenue for resettlement. Eligible applicants include those who have worked for non-governmental organizations, media companies, and other United States related individuals, if recommended by their employer.

But that still doesn’t provide an instant safe haven for Afghans in desperate need of protection, refugee lawyers said, simply expanding the circle of people keen to enter the United States.

How has the country dealt with allies after previous conflicts?

The United States evacuated more than 100,000 Vietnamese to Guam before and after the fall of Saigon in 1975.

President Gerald R. Ford created an interagency task force to transport, process, and relocate the refugees. The Guam governor agreed to accept them temporarily and the allies were evacuated by air and sea.

It would have been better to evacuate anyone in Afghanistan with a pending application in a similar manner and continue the screening process in a safe place before expediting a withdrawal, said Adam Bates, policy counsel at the International Refugee Assistance Project.

“There was no reason why there had to be this crazy tussle in the final hours of the US presence in Afghanistan,” he said. “These evacuations could and should have taken place months ago.”