US Special Visa Halt Leaves 175,000 Afghans in Limbo
An organization supporting Afghan collaborators of US forces has stated that over 175,000 Afghan citizens, despite receiving initial approval for the special US immigration visa, remain waiting for the resumption of interview and visa issuance processes.
According to this organization, the continued suspension of case reviews has left thousands of applicants in an uncertain situation and increased concerns about their future. ‘Afghan IAWC’ emphasized that since the beginning of 2026, no special immigration visas have been issued to Afghan passport holders.
Meanwhile, Afghan refugees in Pakistan are also facing a wave of arrests and deportations, urging the relevant governments to expedite their immigration cases.
A significant portion of former US force collaborators were relocated to Qatar after the fall of the previous Afghan government and are currently residing there hoping for transfer to the United States. However, after five years, their fate remains unclear.
At the same time, the UK-based newspaper The Independent has called on the British government to speed up the transfer process for former UK military collaborators. Nonetheless, reports indicate that many Afghan collaborators of foreign forces still face uncertainty despite promises made.
