Afghans Who Aided U.S. Military Against the Taliban Begin to Arrive in America as Evacuation Ramps Up

What’s the story?

• More than 200 Afghans who worked with the American-led military coalition as interpreters or in other roles in the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda touched down in the U.S. on Friday morning. They are the first of thousands who will be evacuated from war-torn Afghanistan amid death threats from the resurgent Taliban as the U.S. aims to complete the military withdrawal by the end of August. Numerous interpreters have been killed this year, including one who was reportedly beheaded by the Taliban in May.
• This first group of Afghans includes former interpreters, contractors, and their families who had previously undergone background checks and security screenings as part of the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) application process. 
• They will stay at the Fort Lee Army base in Virginia for about a week while their SIV paperwork is completed and they undergo medical exams before they’re resettled as refugees at locations around the country that have remained unspecified for security purposes. 
• Fort Lee will temporarily house between 2,000 and 3,000 Afghans as additional groups are evacuated. There are a total of about 18,000 Afghans seeking SIVs as “principal applicants” who will be joined by tens of thousands of their family members. Many of those whose applications are in earlier stages of the process will be evacuated to a third country while they’re vetted, starting with a group of about 4,000 in the next few weeks.
• U.S. officials have been negotiating with several countries about temporarily hosting Afghans while their applications are processed, including Persian Gulf nations Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, along with Central Asian countries Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. No commitments have yet been announced between the U.S. government and a partner country.
• President Joe Biden released a statement marking the occasion:

“Today is an important milestone as we continue to fulfill our promise to the thousands of Afghan nationals who served shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats over the last 20 years in Afghanistan. This morning, the first flight of Operation Allies Refuge has arrived in the United States, carrying Afghans who are eligible for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) and their families. 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.”

• Biden’s statement concluded, “Most of all, I want to thank these brave Afghans for standing with the United States, and today, I am proud to say to them: 'Welcome home.'”
• Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), a former Green Beret who served in Afghanistan and is part of a bipartisan working group that has advanced legislation to help Afghans quickly access SIVs, posted the following tweet thread on Thursday about the arrival of the first flight:

“The first flight of Afghan SIV interpreters is reported to land in Washington DC this evening. This is terrific news even though it’s months after the Taliban began its rampage; ruthlessly murdering anyone perceived to stand against them. I understand the Biden Admin is not allowing the press access to the interpreters as they arrive. The American people deserve to see what’s happening. It’s important to highlight the significant plight these refugees face following a U.S. withdrawal. There is a way to give access to reporters while also protecting identities ― the press do not want to put these Afghans’ families lives in jeopardy. Further, members of Congress who recently passed legislation authorizing more Visas should be welcoming our Afghan allies to America tonight. It is a shame and a mistake for the Biden Admin to not allow more access to this good news story.”

Congress Acts on Afghan SIVs

• Lawmakers in Congress have in recent weeks cast votes on several bills which aim to accelerate the evacuation of Afghans and the processing of their SIV applications.
• In late June, the House passed the HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act in a bipartisan 366-46 en bloc vote with other bills, which would provide a one-year waiver of the requirement that SIV recipients undergo a medical exam prior to their admission to the U.S. and instead allow them to do so within 90 days of coming to America.
• Last week, the House passed the ALLIES Act on a bipartisan 407-16 vote. The bill would increase the cap on Afghan SIVs by 8,000 to a total of 18,000; broaden the SIV eligibility pool by removing the requirement that Afghans have engaged in “sensitive and trusted” employment with the U.S.-led coalition; end the requirement for a “credible sworn statement” about threats faced. 
• On Thursday, the major provisions of both the ALLIES Act and HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act were bundled with emergency funding for the Capitol Police and National Guard in a bill the Senate passed 98-0 and the House approved 416-11 later in the day. The package is expected to be signed by the president as soon as Friday.

RELATED READING

• Biden Moves Up Afghanistan Withdrawal Date From September 11th to August 31st
• U.S. Military Withdraws From Bagram Air Base as Afghanistan Drawdown Continues
• Biden Urged to Expedite Visas for Afghan Interpreters Facing Taliban Death Threats or There Will Be ‘Blood on His Hands’ After U.S. Withdrawal

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: U.S. Army via Flickr - DOD photo by Senior Airman Grovert Fuentes-Contreras, USAF / Creative Commons)