The Trump administration is weighing a controversial proposal to resettle over 1,100 Afghans who supported US forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rather than allowing them entry to the United States.
The group, currently stranded in Qatar, includes interpreters, family members of service personnel, and children—more than 400 of whom are minors. They were evacuated following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and have spent over a year in limbo, awaiting a permanent resettlement solution.
Many in the group are already eligible to enter the United States under existing programmes, but the administration has halted those pathways. Advocacy groups argue the process should be straightforward: welcome them to America. Instead, officials are exploring third-country options, including the DRC, a nation already grappling with one of the world’s largest displacement crises.
The proposal has drawn criticism from humanitarian organisations, who warn that resettling vulnerable Afghans in a region facing instability and resource constraints could compound existing challenges. The DRC hosts hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and refugees, and aid agencies caution that adding another vulnerable population could strain already limited support systems.
While the administration has not confirmed the plan, discussions are reportedly ongoing. Observers note that the move would mark a significant departure from previous US commitments to protect those who risked their lives aiding American forces during the two-decade war in Afghanistan.
The fate of these Afghans remains uncertain as diplomatic and humanitarian stakeholders weigh the implications of potential resettlement in central Africa.
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