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The Taliban government announced on Saturday that Afghans who fled to Qatar out of fear of retaliation for cooperating with U.S. forces can now return home confidently. The U.S. administration under President Donald Trump, known for its strict immigration policies, had scheduled a March 31 deadline to close a camp in Qatar where over 1,100 Afghans resided, located at a former U.S. base.
Many Afghans seeking to relocate to the United States have been processed at this facility, driven by fears of persecution from Taliban authorities for their prior work with U.S. forces and the collapsed Western-backed government in 2021.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a foreign ministry spokesperson, stated on X (formerly Twitter), “Reports indicate that some Afghan nationals awaiting U.S. visas in Qatar have been given the choice to either return to Afghanistan or resettle in a third country.” He added, “Afghanistan is the homeland for all Afghans and extends an open invitation for those willing to return, assured of safety and peace.”
A group called AfghanEvac, working to assist former Afghan allies, reported this week that Washington proposed that Afghans stranded in Qatar choose between relocating to the Democratic Republic of Congo— currently embroiled in conflict—or going back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Shawn VanDiver, an American veteran leading AfghanEvac, criticized this move, saying, “You don’t relocate vetted wartime allies, including over 400 children, into a country already in chaos.”
Over 190,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. under a program launched by former President Joe Biden. Meanwhile, the Trump administration dismantled broader refugee resettlement efforts and halted processing for Afghan refugees following a 2022 incident where an Afghan employee, suffering from PTSD and having worked with U.S. intelligence, shot two National Guard members in Washington, killing one.
The U.S. State Department highlighted that relocating Afghans from the Qatar camp to third countries can be a positive step toward providing safety and a chance for a new start, while ensuring the security of Americans.
The Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson also claimed that there are no security threats present in Afghanistan. Nonetheless, a United Nations report indicated that between November 6 and January 25, there were 29 arbitrary arrests and detentions, along with six cases of torture and ill-treatment of former government officials and security personnel, including those who recently returned to Afghanistan.
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