The Tide of Afghan Refugees to U.S. is Only Beginning; More Than 60,000 Interpreters, Visa Applicants Remain in Afghanistan

The Tide of Afghan Refugees to U.S. is Only Beginning:

Biden brought tens of thousands of unvetted Afghans to America, the vast majority of whom had no visas and were not eligible for anything.

Call that, Phase 1.

Since then the State Department and the Biden administration have been negotiating with the Taliban to bring over everyone else.

Call that, Phase 2.

What’s Phase 2 going to look like? Take that 50,000 and double it. At the very least.

More than 60,000 Afghan interpreters and others who have applied for visas to seek shelter in the U.S. after working alongside American forces still remain in Afghanistan, a State Department official said Thursday.

About 33,000 Afghans, including principal applicants and their families, have already cleared the more-onerous vetting requirements and could be eligible for immediate evacuation. This is the first time that the State Department has provided a number on those left behind since the Afghanistan government collapsed this summer.

A total of 62,000 Afghans are believed to have been left behind, the official said.

Some “conservatives” are jumping all over this to demand that they all be brought to America yesterday, but as I’ve been writing for years, the vast majority of these people are not “interpreters”, they were employed by the United States or some contractors associated with us in some capacity. And then all their kids and spouses and relatives have to come along too. —>READ MORE HERE

More Than 60,000 Interpreters, Visa Applicants Remain in Afghanistan:

More than 60,000 Afghan interpreters and others who have applied for visas to seek shelter in the U.S. after working alongside American forces still remain in Afghanistan, a State Department official said Thursday.

About 33,000 Afghans, including principal applicants and their families, have already cleared the more-onerous vetting requirements and could be eligible for immediate evacuation. This is the first time that the State Department has provided a number on those left behind since the Afghanistan government collapsed this summer.

A total of 62,000 Afghans are believed to have been left behind, the official said.

U.S. evacuation flights, facilitated by Qatar and local organizers on the ground, have stepped up in recent weeks. Seats are prioritized for Americans and U.S. residents, but some are available for Afghans who have cleared vetting in the visa application process.

The State Department official said that the remaining 29,000 visa applicants are in earlier stages of the application process. The figure doesn’t include their family members at this stage. The vetting steps aim to verify their employment history and check for connections to U.S.-designated terrorist groups.

The U.S. is co-organizing a couple of flights a week, but scheduling depends on conditions at Kabul airport—which is only partly operational—and the weather. It could take until well into 2022 to complete the evacuation of those who already qualify for flights. If the other 29,000 visa applicants pass vetting, they too would become eligible for evacuation along with their immediate family members. —>READ MORE HERE

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