The administration of new US President Donald Trump decided today to suspend the refugee resettlement program to the United States for at least three months, effective January 27th, during which time the Secretary of Homeland Security, in cooperation with the Secretary of State, will submit a report to the president containing an assessment of whether extending the program is in the American interest.
The Trump administration's decision revoked the authorization to transfer to the US for all refugees who were supposed to arrive there before January 27th.
Among those affected are more than 1.600 Afghans who were approved to settle in the United States by the previous US administration led by former President Joseph Biden.
Among them are those Afghans who worked with American soldiers during their twenty-year stay in Afghanistan, which ended with a chaotic withdrawal in 2021. This also includes family members of active-duty American military personnel.
That's why Afghans who fled their country from the Taliban's onslaught called on Trump today to exempt them from his suspension order. Some of them point out that they risked their lives to help American soldiers.
An open letter from their representatives went directly to Trump, the US Congress, and human rights organizations.
An estimated 15.000 Afghans are waiting in Pakistan to be approved for resettlement to the United States under a US government program.
The program was established to help Afghans who risk their lives from Taliban reprisals because they worked for the US government, media, aid agencies and human rights organizations after US and NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban returned to power, from which they had been ousted in 2001.
Pakistan has not yet commented on the Trump administration's decision.
Authorities in Islamabad are asking the international community to help them resolve the fate of 1,45 million Afghan refugees, saying they cannot remain in Pakistan indefinitely.
Bonus video:
