House Approves 8,000 Additional Visas For Afghans
The House of Representatives has approved 8,000 additional immigration visas for Afghan citizens who assisted the U.S. military during the 20-year war in Afghanistan. The bipartisan vote easily passed the House, 407 to 16.
The move comes as President Joe Biden has withdrawn most of the troops from the country. The decision to grant more visas comes as the Taliban has made recent strides in Afghanistan as they slowly advance against U.S.-backed Afghan forces.
The full pullout is expected by Aug. 31.
Since December 2014, the U.S. has granted 26,500 visas. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken acknowledged in June that there were about 18,000 possible applicants.
The House on Thursday was set to expand a visa program to allow more Afghans who have helped American troops to immigrate more quickly to the U.S. https://t.co/z813bMY2Ru
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 22, 2021
“Some members of this body, including me, may not be here today without the service and sacrifice of Afghans who have answered the call to serve shoulder to shoulder with us,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., who in June introduced the Allies Act.
“For too long there has been a sense of urgency that is necessary to ensure safety for the people who put their lives on the line to help American’s in these difficult circumstances,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
NEW: The U.S. is launching an operation at President Biden’s direction to fly Afghan nationals who supported coalition operations in Afghanistan and are in line for Special Immigrant Visas out of the country, according to the White House.
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) July 14, 2021
The bill would also remove application requirements that slow down the Afghan SIV process. This includes the “credible sworn statement” that requires applicants to prove they face a threat working for the government.
“We did not go to Afghanistan to nation-build. It’s up to the Afghans to make decisions about the future of their country,” Biden said.
In 2019, the Washington Post released the Afghanistan Papers, which featured interviews from several U.S. officials detailing how they knew the war was unwinnable and the public had been misled for years.
The Pentagon announced Wednesday they had completed more than 95% of the task of withdrawing from Afghanistan.
