Taliban Government Invites Afghans in Qatar to Return 'With Full Confidence'
The Taliban government has announced that Afghans residing in Qatar may return home safely, following the deadline for closing a US base in Qatar where Afghan applicants for US visas had been seeking refuge.
Kabul: The Taliban-led Afghan government stated on Saturday that Afghans who fled to Qatar out of concern for potential reprisals from the Taliban due to their collaboration with US forces may return home 'with full confidence.'
This announcement follows a March 31 deadline imposed by the Trump administration, which aimed to close a camp housing over 1,100 Afghans at a former US base in Qatar.
The Afghan nationals had been awaiting US visas in Qatar, seeking to immigrate to the United States amid fears of persecution from Taliban authorities after the collapse of the Western-backed government in 2021.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi emphasized in a statement posted on X that Afghanistan represents the shared homeland for all Afghans and invites those concerned to return home.
He added that the country's doors remain open to them with 'full confidence and peace of mind.'
AfghanEvac, an organization dedicated to assisting former Afghan allies, expressed concerns over Washington's recent offer to relocate these individuals either to the Democratic Republic of Congo or back to Afghanistan.
The organization argues against relocating vetted wartime allies, including over 400 children, from US custody to a country experiencing internal turmoil.
The United States has granted asylum to more than 190,000 Afghans under a program initiated by former President Joe Biden.
However, the broader US refugee resettlement program was dismantled by the Trump administration, and processing for Afghan applicants was halted following an incident where an Afghan individual, who had worked with US intelligence and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, shot two National Guard troops in Washington, resulting in one fatality.
A State Department spokesperson stated that relocating Afghans from the Qatar camp to a third country represents a positive resolution, ensuring their safety while upholding national security.
The Taliban government's foreign ministry also affirmed the absence of security threats within Afghanistan.
According to a report by UN Chief Antonio Guterres, between November 6 and January 25, there were 29 arbitrary arrests and detentions along with six instances of torture and ill-treatment targeting former government officials and security force members who had returned to Afghanistan.
This announcement follows a March 31 deadline imposed by the Trump administration, which aimed to close a camp housing over 1,100 Afghans at a former US base in Qatar.
The Afghan nationals had been awaiting US visas in Qatar, seeking to immigrate to the United States amid fears of persecution from Taliban authorities after the collapse of the Western-backed government in 2021.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi emphasized in a statement posted on X that Afghanistan represents the shared homeland for all Afghans and invites those concerned to return home.
He added that the country's doors remain open to them with 'full confidence and peace of mind.'
AfghanEvac, an organization dedicated to assisting former Afghan allies, expressed concerns over Washington's recent offer to relocate these individuals either to the Democratic Republic of Congo or back to Afghanistan.
The organization argues against relocating vetted wartime allies, including over 400 children, from US custody to a country experiencing internal turmoil.
The United States has granted asylum to more than 190,000 Afghans under a program initiated by former President Joe Biden.
However, the broader US refugee resettlement program was dismantled by the Trump administration, and processing for Afghan applicants was halted following an incident where an Afghan individual, who had worked with US intelligence and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, shot two National Guard troops in Washington, resulting in one fatality.
A State Department spokesperson stated that relocating Afghans from the Qatar camp to a third country represents a positive resolution, ensuring their safety while upholding national security.
The Taliban government's foreign ministry also affirmed the absence of security threats within Afghanistan.
According to a report by UN Chief Antonio Guterres, between November 6 and January 25, there were 29 arbitrary arrests and detentions along with six instances of torture and ill-treatment targeting former government officials and security force members who had returned to Afghanistan.