Flights Suspended for Over 40,000 Afghans Approved for Special US Visas

A halt in foreign aid led by President Donald Trump under the “America First” policy is what has stalled the flights for over 40,000 approved Afghans for Special Immigrant Visas. These people will be targeted with Taliban retribution for their acts of helping United States forces as they leave this country after fighting for 20 years for the United States.

The foreign aid freeze is put in place for 90 days, while a review of the efficiency and consistency of the U.S. foreign aid programs is conducted. Advocacy groups and experts say that this has halted critical aid operations worldwide, as important nutrition, health, vaccination, and other humanitarian programs were put to a stop.

Effect on Afghan Evacuees and Humanitarian Efforts

Another related outcome of the suspension of foreign aid has been stopping funding from the U.S. State Department that goes to helping groups assisting Afghan individuals with SIVs find accommodations, schooling, and work here in America. As a result, tens of thousands of men who risk life and limb serving side by side with U.S. troops for war face months of indefinite delays for passage into the United States.

Shawn VanDiver, director of #AfghanEvac-a nonprofit founded by veterans and advocacy groups and geared toward aiding evacuation and re-orientation of such Afghans-felt dismay when the administration went forward with flight cancellations.
“We think it was a mistake,” he said. “These guys fought beside the U.S. forces; they bled alongside us and are now targeted for retaliation from the Taliban.”

Vandiver and other advocates are calling for exemptions to the suspension, emphasizing that many of these individuals are at immediate risk due to their past service to the U.S. government during the Afghanistan conflict, which ended with the withdrawal of U.S. troops in August 2021.

Stranded Afghans Face Uncertain Future

More than 40,000 Afghans remain stranded in processing centers across Qatar, Albania, Afghanistan, and Pakistan due to the suspension of flights. The people have been waiting to process their flight to the U.S. and finalize their visas. According to Vandiver and other officials, this has caused enormous hardship for individuals seeking refuge after the chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan.

Since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, almost 200,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. through the SIV program or as refugees. The suspension, however, is causing thousands more to be held in limbo while waiting for resettlement. In addition, Afghan refugees who were scheduled to fly are affected, including family members of Afghan American military personnel and unaccompanied children.

Trump’s Executive Order on Refugee Resettlement

In addition to suspending all flights, on his first day in office, President Trump signed another executive order suspending all U.S. refugee resettlement programs. In turn, this meant hundreds of Afghan refugees lost their seats on those flights, increasing the crisis exponentially.

The suspension of refugee programs has left countless vulnerable Afghans, including former soldiers and their families, stranded without clear paths to safety. The order has further complicated the resettlement process for people who served alongside US troops in Afghanistan; they now have a harder path to secure visas and safety in the US.