US Senators Urge Halt to Transfer of Afghan Refugees to Congo
United States Senator Peter Welch has called on Congress to stop the transfer of a number of Afghan refugees to the Democratic Republic of Congo. These individuals had previously been approved for resettlement in the US, but reports suggest that the administration of President Donald Trump intends to relocate them either to Congo or Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
On Friday, April 22, Welch wrote on his X page that these Afghans risked their lives supporting American forces against the Taliban during US military missions. He argued that sending them to a country widely regarded as unsafe, with which they have no linguistic or social ties, is a wrong decision.
Welch emphasized that such a move contradicts the declared values of the United States and that Congress must intervene to prevent it. He warned that transferring these individuals to Congo could place them in difficult security and livelihood conditions.
Another US Senator, Bernie Sanders, also backed this position, stating that Afghans who worked alongside US forces deserve support and should not face an uncertain fate.
Earlier, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration plans to send approximately 1,100 Afghan refugees who worked with the US and were awaiting transfer to the United States, either to the Democratic Republic of Congo or Taliban-controlled Afghanistan—a move that, if carried out, has heightened concerns about the safety and future of these people.
