The Kabul Tribune (KT) — KPBS has reported that a group of U.S. lawmakers met virtually with Afghan refugees stranded at the U.S.-run Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, where more than 1,100 Afghans have remained for more than a year after the suspension of U.S. refugee resettlement.
According to the report, the refugees were transferred to
the camp in Doha by the U.S. State Department under the Biden administration as
part of the resettlement process. However, the relocation program was halted
after President Donald Trump suspended refugee admissions upon returning to
office and later imposed a travel and visa ban on Afghans.
KPBS said the camp's residents include Afghans who supported
U.S. forces during the two-decade war in Afghanistan, along with their family
members. The nonprofit AfghanEvac estimates that the camp houses more than 400
children and 17 pregnant women.
The virtual town hall was led by Representative Scott Peters
and included Representative Lou Correa and Senator Richard Blumenthal. During
the meeting, Afghan refugees told lawmakers they were struggling with
deteriorating mental health and expressed concern about the future of their
children.
One Afghan mother told lawmakers that she and her three
children have lived at the camp for one year and seven months, adding that her
children have been unable to attend school for nearly two years and are falling
behind in their education.
According to KPBS, the camp is scheduled to close at the end
of September 2026, while U.S. authorities have reportedly considered relocating
the refugees to the Democratic Republic of the Congo or returning them to
Afghanistan.
The report also cited a recent U.S. State Department update
indicating that more than 23,000 Afghan visa applications remain under
processing, while no Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) have been issued to Afghans
this year.
Lawmakers told the refugees they would continue pressing
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other members of Congress to address their
situation.
