US Obligation to Afghan Refugees

The United States completed the withdrawal of all US forces from Afghanistan on August 31, 2021. The Taliban has since seized control over the Afghan government. Now the US must face the question of what to do now.

There are thousands of Afghan refugees waiting on American military bases and in third countries, while countless other Afghans are stuck in Afghanistan trying to escape. The US should face the question of what to do with these Afghan nationals who have been displaced by the American-led war and the results of US decisions with a sense of morality.

Manish Daftari likens the current Afghan refugee crisis to that of the Vietnam War. Looking back to the US response to the aftermath of the Vietnam war, there was a moral approach to the refugee crisis. Daftari quotes President Gerald Ford in saying that, "the United States had a 'profound moral obligation' to those Vietnamese left in danger after the American troop withdrawal." Taking this approach to the Afghan crisis, the US should accept Afghan refugees quickly and dismiss the unnecessary impediments on processing their applications.

Recently, AILA recommended the Biden administration parole all evacuated Afghans and all Afghans in the process of fleeing to the US. This solution does not automatically grant permanent status to Afghans fleeing their homes, but allows the possibility of entering the US on a humanitarian basis without years of waiting times for processing. Additionally, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) should commit to the creation of a specific humanitarian parole program that is designated to expedite the review of Afghan parole petitions.

For More Information:

View Manish Daftari's original post here.

This blog post does not serve as legal advice and does not establish any client-attorney privilege. Do not take any action based on the information contained in this post without consulting a qualified immigration attorney. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our legal team directly.

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