The United States may soon not allow people from Afghanistan and Pakistan to enter the country. This news comes from sources who said President Donald Trump is thinking about a new travel ban that might be announced as early as next week.
This travel ban is part of Trump’s plan to keep the U.S. safe. The government is looking into which countries might be a security risk and could include more countries in this ban. Many Afghan people are worried, as the ban could seriously affect those who have been approved to come to the U.S. under special programs known as refugee or Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs). These Afghans are in danger because they helped U.S. forces during the long war in Afghanistan.
Back in January, Trump asked for a review of rules for foreigners wanting to enter the U.S. This was meant to find out who might be a security risk. Various government departments are involved in this review to come up with a list of countries that might be banned because they don’t screen people well enough. The results of this review are expected to be shared by March 21.
Many believe that Afghanistan and Pakistan will be on this list for full travel bans. Officials from the State Department, Justice Department, and other agencies have not commented on this yet. One source pointed out that Afghans who are cleared for resettlement have gone through very careful checks, meaning they are safer than many others trying to immigrate.
Despite this, the State Department is trying to get an exception for SIV holders, but it’s uncertain if that will happen. They also need to prepare for the Afghan relocation office to close by April.
Since the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021, after the U.S. military left, Afghanistan has become even more dangerous. Pakistan is also struggling with violent groups.
Shawn VanDiver, who leads a group helping resettle Afghans, is urging people with valid U.S. visas to travel quickly. He says that while nothing official has been said yet, many sources believe a new travel restriction could come within a week.
Currently, about 200,000 Afghans either have permission to resettle or are still waiting for their refugee or SIV applications. Many of them are stuck in Afghanistan and other countries, including roughly 20,000 in Pakistan, after an order in January halted their refugee admissions and funding for flights.
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