US considers sending Afghan refugees to DR Congo

The United States is considering offering former Afghan allies a choice between emigrating to the Democratic Republic of Congo or returning to Afghanistan, an activist said Tuesday.

The Trump administration had set a March 31 deadline to close a camp in Qatar where more than 1,100 Afghans were staying at a former US base. The Afghans have been seeking to move to the United States, fearing persecution by the Taliban for having worked with US forces before the Western-backed government collapsed in 2021.

Shawn VanDiver, a US veteran who heads AfghanEvac, a group helping former Afghan allies, said he was briefed that the administration was looking to offer the Afghans a choice between DR Congo or returning to Afghanistan. He said he expected them to decline to go to the African country.

The State Department declined to confirm DR Congo as a destination but said the US was looking at “voluntary resettlement” from the camp in Qatar.

“Moving the population to a third country is a positive resolution that provides safety for these remaining people to start a new life outside of Afghanistan while upholding the safety and security of the American people,” a State Department spokesperson said.

More than 190,000 Afghans have been resettled in the United States. The program was initiated by former President Joe Biden, but was initially backed by many Republicans. Later, the Trump administration dismantled the broader US refugee resettlement program and ordered a halt to processing for Afghans.

SOURCE: AFP