Current:Home > StocksEthermac Exchange-840,000 Afghans who’ve applied for key US resettlement program still in Afghanistan, report says -ProfitLogic
Ethermac Exchange-840,000 Afghans who’ve applied for key US resettlement program still in Afghanistan, report says
Surpassing View
Date:2025-04-10 12:58:52
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 840,Ethermac Exchange000 Afghans who applied for a resettlement program aimed at people who helped the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan are still there waiting, according to a report that lays out the challenges with a program intended to help America’s allies in the two-decade long conflict.
The report released Thursday by the State Department’s inspector general outlines steps the department took to improve processing of special immigrant visas for Afghans. But two years after the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power, challenges remain.
The visa program was started in 2009 to help Afghans who worked side-by-side with Americans and faced significant risks for doing so. A similar program exists for Iraqis. Both programs have been plagued by criticism that cases move much too slowly, leaving applicants in dangerous limbo.
And since the U.S. left Afghanistan the number of people applying for the visas has skyrocketed. According to the report, there were a little less than 30,000 applicants in October 2021, but by December 2022 that number had grown to roughly 155,000. Those figures do not include family members who are allowed to resettle with them if their application is approved.
The State Department estimates that as of April of this year more than 840,000 applicants for the special visa program and their family members remain in Afghanistan, the report said. Not everyone who applies is accepted; the State Department noted that about 50% of applicants do not qualify when their applications are reviewed at a key stage early in the process.
The department also said since the start of the Biden administration in January 2021 through Aug. 1 of this year it’s issued nearly 34,000 visas for the applicants and their family members, which it said was a substantial increase from previous years.
The report said the department has hired more staff to process applications, coordinated with the Pentagon to verify applicants’ employment, and eliminated some of the steps required of applicants. But, the report said, there was more it could do. For example, the report noted that a key position overseeing the special immigrant visa process has seen frequent turnover and vacancies.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Cleveland Becomes Cleantech Leader But Ohio Backtracks on Renewable Energy
- Solar and wind generated more electricity than coal for record 5 months
- Is there a 'healthiest' soda? Not really, but there are some alternatives you should consider.
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Brazil police raid ex-President Bolsonaro's home in COVID vaccine card investigation
- Alaska’s Big Whale Mystery: Where Are the Bowheads?
- Brazil police raid ex-President Bolsonaro's home in COVID vaccine card investigation
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Dangerously high temperatures hit South as thousands remain without power
Ranking
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Worldwide Effort on Clean Energy Is What’s Needed, Not a Carbon Price
- Judge to unseal identities of 3 people who backed George Santos' $500K bond
- U.S. Ranks Near Bottom on Energy Efficiency; Germany Tops List
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Pandemic hits 'stop button,' but for some life is forever changed
- Why LeBron James Is Considering Retiring From the NBA After 20 Seasons
- American Idol’s Just Sam Is Singing at Subway Stations Again 3 Years After Winning Show
Recommendation
Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
The Texas Lawyer Behind The So-Called Bounty Hunter Abortion Ban
Meet The Ultimatum: Queer Love's 5 Couples Who Are Deciding to Marry or Move On
If you're 40, it's time to start mammograms, according to new guidelines
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
Dangerously high temperatures hit South as thousands remain without power
Her job is to care for survivors of sexual assault. Why aren't there more like her?
The pandemic-era rule that lets you get telehealth prescriptions just got extended