200 Afghan Refugees Arrive in US

by mcardinal

Justin Bullock, FISM News

 

As the US prepares to withdraw its final round of troops from Afghanistan, the White House has announced Operation Allies Refuge for those Afghani citizens who assisted the US military in the country over the past 20 years. According to this program, those Afghanis who assisted the US, fear retaliation from the Taliban, and who wish to come to the US, will be given the status of refuges and afforded relocation to the US. The first wave of 200 Afghan refugees arrived in the US at Fort Lee, Virginia on Friday.

Many more are expected to come as the US military relied on Afghan citizens for logistical and translating purposes. The estimate from the US government is that as many as 50,000 Afghans will be granted Special Immigrant Visas. President Joe Biden said about the program,

These arrivals are just the first of many as we work quickly to relocate SIV-eligible Afghans out of harm’s way — to the United States, to U.S. facilities abroad, or to third countries — so that they can wait in safety while they finish their visa applications.

The program is being bogged down as the processing of applications started late and been delayed due to bureaucratic delays and a lack of State Department staff. In many ways the program’s troubles resemble the delays faced by American citizens seeking to obtain or renew their passports. The State Department is saying that they are hoping to quickly streamline the process and hire more qualified staff without sacrificing a commitment to national security and thorough background checks.

Senior Deputy Homeland Security Advisor Russ Travers from the National Security Council and Ambassador Tracey Jacobson from the State Department Afghanistan Coordination Task Force went on a press call on Thursday to talk about the program and explain some details. They told reporters,

America has a longstanding tradition of welcoming refugees and others to the United States.  We, alongside our civil society partners and tens of thousands of volunteers across our nation, look forward to welcoming these friends and partners to their new communities in the United States. They have all completed rigorous security background checks conducted by the intelligence community and the Departments of State and Homeland Security.  And they now join the over 70,000 Afghans who have received SIVs and started new lives in the U.S. since 2008.

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