Afghans who fled Taliban appeal to Trump over refugee programme suspension

Afghans who fled the country after the Taliban's takeover urged US President Donald Trump on Wednesday to exempt them from an order suspending the relocation of refugees to the US, with many saying they risked their lives to support American forces.

An estimated 15,000 Afghans currently in Pakistan are awaiting approval for resettlement in the US under the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). It was set up to help Afghans at risk under the Taliban because of their work with the US government, media and NGOs, after US troops pulled out of the nation in 2021, when the Taliban took power.

However, the Trump administration announced a three-month suspension of the programme from 27 January. During that period, the White House said the secretary of homeland security in consultation with the secretary of state will submit a report to Trump on whether the resumption of the programme is in the US interest.

In an open letter addressed to Trump, US Congress, and human rights defenders, the advocacy group Afghan USRAP Refugees urged the reversal of the suspension.

"Many of us risked our lives to support the US mission as interpreters, contractors, human rights defenders, and allies," the group wrote. "The Taliban regards us as traitors, and returning to Afghanistan would expose us to arrest, torture, or death."

The group also highlighted the dangerous conditions they face in Pakistan, including the risk of arbitrary arrests and deportations. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan, where authorities have urged the global community to decide the fate of the 1.45 million Afghan refugees residing in the country, saying they cannot stay indefinitely.

Appeals for protection

Trump's suspension of the programme has heightened fears among USRAP applicants, many of whom had flights to the US scheduled for the coming months.

Hadisa Bibi, a former Kabul university student and women’s rights advocate, fled to Pakistan last month and said she had learned of Trump's move in a newspaper.

“I was hoping for a swift resettlement to the United States,” she said. “This would not only allow me to continue my higher education but also offer a safer and brighter future.”

Mahnoosh Monir, another USRAP applicant and a former medical student in Afghanistan, also expressed disappointment at Trump’s suspension.

"Afghanistan is no longer a place for any girl or woman to survive," she said, recounting her struggles to adapt after the Taliban banned female education and shut down her workplace.

"I didn’t expect this suspension to happen. A long span of waiting makes us think of very disappointing probabilities like being sent back to Afghanistan or waiting for a long time in Pakistan as a refugee at risk, which are like nightmares to all of case holders," she said.

Both Bibi and Monir have applied for relocation but remain in limbo as the visa process drags on.

The United Nations estimates that 1.4 million Afghan girls have been deprived of education due to Taliban-imposed bans, making Afghanistan the only country globally to prohibit female secondary and higher education.

In addition to Pakistan, at least 3,200 Afghans are temporarily residing in Albania, which has agreed to house them longer than initially planned due to visa delays.