Afghanistan - Operation Operation “Allies Refuge”
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Afghanistan - Operation “Allies Refuge”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/t...ment-rrhl9xn2g
Thousands of Afghan interpreters to be housed in US Gulf bases before resettlement
Up to 35,000 Afghan interpreters and other assistants of US forces are to be housed in two American bases in Kuwait and Qatar along with family members while their asylum applications are processed.
Temporary accommodation is being prepared at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar and Camp Buehring in Kuwait to house the Afghans for at least 18 months.
The lives of an estimated 20,000-50,000 Afghans who worked for US forces, and their families, have been plunged into danger by the American withdrawal after 20 years of war in the country.
With the Taliban rapidly taking more and more territory in the wake of the pullout, there have been more than 20,000 applications for special immigrant visas to relocate to the US. About 70,000 Afghans have received visas since 2008, the State Department said, including 2,500 since President Biden’s inauguration in January.
“Our message to those women and men is clear,” President Biden said this month. “There is a home for you in the United States if you choose, and we will stand with you just as you stood with us.”…..
Senior Republicans and Democrats have been urging the Biden administration to move faster on plans to evacuate the visa applicants.
Thousands of welcome packages, containing health items and military meals, have been sent to the two Middle East bases. Construction and preparation of the bases is expected to cost several hundred million dollars.
“We are conducting planning for multiple scenarios, including the potential for tens of thousands of people,” a US official told The Wall Street Journal. “Though it’s unclear for how many, and how soon and for how long.”
The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill by 407 votes to 16 on Thursday to raise the cap on visas to ensure it covers all Afghan applicants and waive some of the paperwork requirements. The bill also made it possible for family members of deceased visa applicants to settle in the US.
Camp As Sayliyah, which was a base for rest and relaxation for American troops during the Iraq war, is equipped with pools and other recreation facilities. It was due to be closed before being chosen to house the Afghan refugees. Camp Buehring was built for US troops heading to the war in Iraq.
A group of about 2,500 Afghans, comprising 750 principal applicants and their family members, are expected to arrive at Fort Lee in Virginia soon. They will stay for up to ten days before being resettled in the US permanently, officials said.
The evacuations come as the US staged airstrikes to help Afghan forces fend off Taliban attacks on the southern city of Kandahar, which the Taliban said was a breach of an agreement made by the US on its withdrawal.
Thousands of Afghan interpreters to be housed in US Gulf bases before resettlement
Up to 35,000 Afghan interpreters and other assistants of US forces are to be housed in two American bases in Kuwait and Qatar along with family members while their asylum applications are processed.
Temporary accommodation is being prepared at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar and Camp Buehring in Kuwait to house the Afghans for at least 18 months.
The lives of an estimated 20,000-50,000 Afghans who worked for US forces, and their families, have been plunged into danger by the American withdrawal after 20 years of war in the country.
With the Taliban rapidly taking more and more territory in the wake of the pullout, there have been more than 20,000 applications for special immigrant visas to relocate to the US. About 70,000 Afghans have received visas since 2008, the State Department said, including 2,500 since President Biden’s inauguration in January.
“Our message to those women and men is clear,” President Biden said this month. “There is a home for you in the United States if you choose, and we will stand with you just as you stood with us.”…..
Senior Republicans and Democrats have been urging the Biden administration to move faster on plans to evacuate the visa applicants.
Thousands of welcome packages, containing health items and military meals, have been sent to the two Middle East bases. Construction and preparation of the bases is expected to cost several hundred million dollars.
“We are conducting planning for multiple scenarios, including the potential for tens of thousands of people,” a US official told The Wall Street Journal. “Though it’s unclear for how many, and how soon and for how long.”
The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill by 407 votes to 16 on Thursday to raise the cap on visas to ensure it covers all Afghan applicants and waive some of the paperwork requirements. The bill also made it possible for family members of deceased visa applicants to settle in the US.
Camp As Sayliyah, which was a base for rest and relaxation for American troops during the Iraq war, is equipped with pools and other recreation facilities. It was due to be closed before being chosen to house the Afghan refugees. Camp Buehring was built for US troops heading to the war in Iraq.
A group of about 2,500 Afghans, comprising 750 principal applicants and their family members, are expected to arrive at Fort Lee in Virginia soon. They will stay for up to ten days before being resettled in the US permanently, officials said.
The evacuations come as the US staged airstrikes to help Afghan forces fend off Taliban attacks on the southern city of Kandahar, which the Taliban said was a breach of an agreement made by the US on its withdrawal.
Last edited by ORAC; 23rd Jul 2021 at 21:36.
