World
Skin Condition: 8,40,000 Afghans who’ve applied for key US resettlement programme still in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON: Greater than 8,40,000 Afghans who utilized for a resettlement programme geared toward individuals who helped the US warfare effort in Afghanistan are nonetheless there ready, in keeping with a report that lays out the challenges with a programme meant to assist America‘s allies within the two-decade lengthy battle. The report launched Thursday by the State Division‘s inspector common outlines steps the division took to enhance processing of particular immigrant visas for Afghans. However two years after the US pullout from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to energy, challenges stay.
The visa programme was began in 2009 to assist Afghans who labored side-by-side with People and confronted vital dangers for doing so. An identical programme exists for Iraqis. Each programmes have been stricken by criticism that instances transfer a lot too slowly, leaving candidates in harmful limbo.
And because the US left Afghanistan the variety of individuals making use of for the visas has skyrocketed. In line with the report, there have been rather less than 30,000 candidates in October 2021, however by December 2022 that quantity had grown to roughly 1,55,000. These figures don’t embody members of the family who’re allowed to resettle with them if their utility is authorized.
The State Division estimates that as of April of this yr greater than 8,40,000 candidates for the particular visa programme and their members of the family stay in Afghanistan, the report stated. Not everybody who applies is accepted; the State Division famous that about 50% of candidates don’t qualify when their purposes are reviewed at a key stage early within the course of.
The division additionally stated because the begin of the Biden administration in January 2021 by Aug. 1 of this yr it is issued almost 34,000 visas for the candidates and their members of the family, which it stated was a considerable enhance from earlier years.
The report stated the division has employed extra workers to course of purposes, coordinated with the Pentagon to confirm candidates’ employment, and eradicated a few of the steps required of candidates. However, the report stated, there was extra it may do. For instance, the report famous {that a} key place overseeing the particular immigrant visa course of has seen frequent turnover and vacancies.
The visa programme was began in 2009 to assist Afghans who labored side-by-side with People and confronted vital dangers for doing so. An identical programme exists for Iraqis. Each programmes have been stricken by criticism that instances transfer a lot too slowly, leaving candidates in harmful limbo.
And because the US left Afghanistan the variety of individuals making use of for the visas has skyrocketed. In line with the report, there have been rather less than 30,000 candidates in October 2021, however by December 2022 that quantity had grown to roughly 1,55,000. These figures don’t embody members of the family who’re allowed to resettle with them if their utility is authorized.
The State Division estimates that as of April of this yr greater than 8,40,000 candidates for the particular visa programme and their members of the family stay in Afghanistan, the report stated. Not everybody who applies is accepted; the State Division famous that about 50% of candidates don’t qualify when their purposes are reviewed at a key stage early within the course of.
The division additionally stated because the begin of the Biden administration in January 2021 by Aug. 1 of this yr it is issued almost 34,000 visas for the candidates and their members of the family, which it stated was a considerable enhance from earlier years.
The report stated the division has employed extra workers to course of purposes, coordinated with the Pentagon to confirm candidates’ employment, and eradicated a few of the steps required of candidates. However, the report stated, there was extra it may do. For instance, the report famous {that a} key place overseeing the particular immigrant visa course of has seen frequent turnover and vacancies.
