Flight Suspension Strands Over 40,000 Afghans Approved for US Visas

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A flight suspension has left more than 40,000 Afghans stranded, including many who hold Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and are at risk of Taliban retribution. This situation arose following President Donald Trump’s recent directive to pause foreign development aid for 90 days, implemented as part of his "America First" policy. The suspension has disrupted U.S. and international aid operations, halting essential health, nutrition, and vaccination programs.

Advocates for Afghan evacuees, including Shawn VanDiver of the coalition #AfghanEvac, suggest that the flight suspension was not a deliberate decision but rather a mistake. VanDiver emphasized the urgency of exemptions for SIV holders, many of whom assisted U.S. forces during the two-decade conflict in Afghanistan.

Reports indicate that the Taliban have been detaining and executing former Afghan government workers, raising fears among those still in Afghanistan. The flight suspension affects not only those currently in Doha and Tirana for processing but also Afghans waiting in Afghanistan and Pakistan for U.S.-funded flights. The suspension has also caused complications for Afghan refugees, including families of American military personnel.

Since the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, nearly 200,000 Afghans have been resettled in the United States under SIVs or as refugees. However, recent executive orders have further complicated refugee resettlement efforts, affecting many vulnerable individuals who risk their lives in support of U.S. operations.

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