US considers sending Afghans who helped with war from Qatar to another country
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- The Trump administration is considering relocating over 1,000 Afghan refugees, including those who assisted U.S. forces and relatives of U.S. service members, from a base in Qatar to a third country, with Congo being a leading option.
- Refugees at Camp As-Sayliyah in Doha have been stranded for over a year following the suspension of the Afghan resettlement program by President Trump, facing the difficult choice between resettlement in Congo or returning to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
- Negotiations with other countries like Botswana and Malaysia fell through, and Congo, despite facing severe humanitarian crises and ongoing conflict, is now the primary country under consideration for resettlement.
- Refugee advocates and former U.S. officials have expressed serious concerns about sending vulnerable Afghans to Congo due to its instability and humanitarian emergency, highlighting the risks involved.
- Refugees at the Doha base remain uninformed about their future, with some being pressured to return to Afghanistan, a move many fear could lead to persecution or death.
