WASHINGTON: Over 840,000 Afghan citizens who applied for a resettlement program in the US are still waiting in Afghanistan, AP reported on Saturday. The program was initiated for those who supported the United States during the war in Afghanistan.
840,000 Afghans are waiting for US visas
The US State Department outlines measures the department took to improve the processing of special immigrant visas for Afghan citizens but two years following the US forces pullout from the country and the return of the Afghan Taliban to Kabul, challenges remain.
The program was started in 2009 to support Afghans who worked with Americans and faced risks for doing so. A similar program also initiated for Iraqis. However, both programs have been plagued by censure that cases move slowly, leaving people in unsafe limbo.
The State Department said that since the start of the Biden administration in Jan 2021 through Aug 1st of the current year, it has issued about 34,000 visas for the applicants and their family members.
