US Eyes DRC Resettlement for 1,100 Afghans Amid Backlash

The United States is in discussions with the Democratic Republic of Congo to resettle approximately 1,100 Afghans who aided American forces during the two-decade war in Afghanistan, a proposal that has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups and lawmakers. These individuals, including interpreters, former Afghan special operations members, and relatives of U.S. service personnel, have been living at Camp As Sayliyah, a former U.S. military base in Qatar, since their evacuation following the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul in August 2021. More than 400 among them are children.

The group was initially promised pathways to resettlement in the United States through programs like Special Immigrant Visas, after many faced threats from the Taliban for their work supporting U.S. efforts. However, processing for these visas has been effectively suspended since the Trump administration took office in January 2025. This halt followed broader immigration restrictions, including a travel ban on Afghan nationals implemented in June 2024 with limited exemptions, and a complete stop to visa processing in November 2024 after a shooting incident involving an Afghan national that killed one U.S....