After years of working with the U.S. to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan, Zahra, a 27-year-old former employee of the Afghan Ministry of Defence, was on the verge of being evacuated to the United States. However, her hopes were dashed when President Donald Trump suspended refugee admissions. Zahra had already sold her belongings, anticipating the flight, but the freeze left her stranded in Pakistan, where sheβs been caught in a lengthy refugee process for over three years.
“I just want them to honor the promise they made,” Zahra said, tearfully speaking under a pseudonym to protect her identity. She and many others like her had hoped for a peaceful life free from the threat of Taliban reprisal after the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
The suspension of refugee admissions in January 2023 blocked around 10,000 Afghans who had been approved for relocation to the U.S., according to non-profit #AfghanEvac. Many more applications remain frozen, leaving those who risked their lives assisting U.S. forces in limbo.
Shawn VanDiver, the head of #AfghanEvac, stressed that the U.S. has an obligation to help those who stood by American ideals. Trump’s order to halt the program, citing the U.S.’s inability to absorb large numbers of migrants, has deeply affected Afghans who once worked alongside the U.S. military and government.
While some refugee programs remain open, such as the special visa scheme for those who worked directly with the U.S., many Afghans, including former soldiers and ex-government workers, relied on the broader refugee program to escape. With U.S. embassies closed in Kabul, many Afghans have traveled to Pakistan to complete their relocation paperwork.
Families like that of a former Afghan government employee, now seeking resettlement in Pakistan, are struggling with dashed hopes. The 23-year-old daughter of the family said, “All my hopes are shattered,” describing feelings of constant anxiety and nightmares.
As the Taliban government promotes an amnesty and calls for those who fled to return, tensions rise in neighboring countries like Pakistan. Islamabad has been forced to evict thousands of undocumented Afghan migrants, adding to the uncertain future for those awaiting relocation. The U.S. has yet to clarify its refugee policy to Pakistan, leaving Afghans stuck in a perilous situation with no clear path forward.
