ISLAMABAD:
The relationship between Pakistan and the US under President Donald Trump’s administration is encountering an early challenge following the suspension of a refugee program designed to resettle thousands of Afghans currently stranded in Pakistan.
Around 25,000 Afghans, eligible for the US refugee program, were granted temporary refuge in Pakistan at Washington’s request. These individuals fled Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, many of whom had worked for the US military or its contractors.
Pakistan agreed to host these refugees temporarily, expecting the resettlement process to conclude within a few months. However, over three years after the Taliban’s return to power, the cases remain unresolved. The Biden administration had previously assured Pakistan that these Afghans would be resettled through pathways such as the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program and the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
President Trump’s recent executive order suspending US refugee programs has now stalled this process. According to US officials and refugee advocates, approximately 1,660 Afghans who had already been cleared for resettlement, including family members of active-duty US military personnel, have had their flights canceled due to the new policy. This group includes unaccompanied minors awaiting reunification with their families in the US and Afghans at risk of Taliban retribution due to their association with the former US-backed Afghan government.
The suspension has left thousands of other Afghans, who were approved for resettlement but have yet to secure flights from Afghanistan or neighboring Pakistan, in limbo. Shawn VanDiver, head of the Afghan Evacuation Coalition, along with a US official speaking anonymously, confirmed the situation.
Trump’s firm stance on immigration, a key promise of his 2024 election campaign, has raised uncertainty over the future of US refugee programs. Neither the White House nor the State Department, which oversees these programs, has commented on the matter. Pakistan’s government has also refrained from issuing an official response.
However, sources within Pakistan’s administration expressed growing concern over the development. “We anticipated potential challenges to the refugee program under the Trump administration, but the swift action took us by surprise,” said a Pakistani official familiar with the matter.
A day before Trump’s inauguration, Pakistan’s Foreign Office convened a meeting to address the situation of Afghans stuck in the country. Sources revealed that Pakistan had urged US authorities to expedite the resettlement process. One source highlighted security concerns, noting that many of these individuals were not ordinary citizens but were trained personnel who had worked for the US military and intelligence agencies.
When Pakistan initiated a crackdown on undocumented Afghans in 2023, the US requested Islamabad to spare those eligible for resettlement. Pakistan complied but emphasized the need for Washington to complete the process promptly.
While the Biden administration had acknowledged the issue, it remains uncertain whether Trump’s administration will engage with Pakistani authorities on the matter. This situation could strain relations between the two nations, as Pakistan has made it clear that it cannot host these refugees indefinitely. Trump’s hardline immigration policies may further complicate US-Pakistan ties over the issue of Afghan refugees.
