Uncertainty Grows for 1,100 Afghans as Qatar’s al-Sailiya Camp Faces Closure
As the closure of al-Sailiya camp in Qatar approaches, the fate of about 1,100 Afghans living at the facility remains unclear, and they do not know where they will be moved after Sept. 30.
According to media reports, the camp, which was previously used as a U.S. military base, is set to shut on Sept. 30. However, residents say they have not yet received any clear information about their next destination.
A large share of the camp’s residents are Afghans who worked with U.S. forces or affiliated institutions between 2001 and 2021, during the presence of international forces led by the United States in Afghanistan. Some family members of these individuals are also among the camp’s residents.
After the withdrawal of U.S. and other international forces from Afghanistan in 2021, these people left the country and expected to be resettled in the United States, but the transfer process has run into problems.
Residents say that although camp officials hold regular meetings with them, those meetings also do not provide any new information about where they will be transferred or what their final fate will be. One resident, who did not want to be named, said all residents are worried about their future and do not know whether they will be moved to the United States or another country.
He also said the war and events after the Taliban returned to power had scattered members of his family across several countries. Camp residents say the long and uncertain wait for their future has placed a heavy psychological burden on them.
According to Afghan Evac, an organization that supports Afghans who worked with U.S. forces, the transfer requests of 292 people from this camp to the United States have been formally rejected. The group also said more than 400 children are among the camp’s residents.
Earlier, U.S. Congresswoman Julie Johnson said Washington had abandoned Afghans who worked with the United States during the war in Afghanistan. Al-Sailiya camp in Qatar is one of the facilities that was used to temporarily house some of the Afghans evacuated after the 2021 developments.
