20 Sep The Assistance for Afghan Nationals
As the deadline approached for the U.S. to fully withdraw from Afghanistan by August 31, 2021, many Afghan nationals feared the days to come after. When the Taliban began to take over Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital and largest city, many wondered how a regime with a well-known dark history will use its assumed power to rule over and lead the future of Afghanistan. Although both the U.S. and the Taliban reached an agreement to sign a peace deal in February of 2020, some of these terms and conditions have already been broken by the Taliban, only confirming what some feared most.
President Biden addressed the U.S. firmly, “I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces.” As he continued to explain how the U.S. has planned to assist in the days to come, one of those propositions included the expansion of refugee access for other vulnerable Afghans who worked for the U.S. Embassy, non-governmental agencies, U.S. non-governmental organizations, U.S. news agencies, and Afghans who are at great risk.
One of the first measures expanded was Operation Allies Welcome, an effort to support vulnerable Afghans who have worked directly with the U.S. in Afghanistan as they safely try to resettle. So, what exactly does this mean? Special categories.
- Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Iraqi and Afghan Translators/Interpreters
This category is designated for those individuals who have worked directly with the U.S. Armed Forces or under the Chief of Mission authority as a translator or interpreter in Iraq or Afghanistan.
- Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans – Who Were Employed by/on behalf of the U.S. Government
This category is dedicated to Afghan nationals who were employed in Afghanistan by or on behalf of the U.S. government, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), or a successor mission. The Biden Administration has amended the requirements to allow shorter service requirements for those wishing to apply in this category. - U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
This admissions program is dedicated to assisting Afghan nationals and their eligible family members on a priority basis categorized with P-1 being the highest priority and P-3 being the lowest priority.
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- P-1: Individual cases referred by designated entities (an Embassy, designated NGO, or the UNHCR) to the program by virtue of their circumstances and apparent need for resettlement.
- P-2: Groups of special concern designated by the Department of State as having access to the program by virtue of their circumstances and apparent need for resettlement.
- P-3: Individual cases granted access for purposes of reunification with family members already in the United States.
On August 2, 2021, the Department of State announced “Priority 2 (P-2) designation granting U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) access for certain Afghan nationals and their eligible family members.” The U.S. has continued to monitor the ongoing influx of Afghan refugees and the state of the country they left behind. According to Axios, an initial group of approximately 37,000 Afghan refugees is anticipated to arrive in the United States. The number of Afghan refugees arriving in the United States is only expected to grow as uncertainty rises.