Afghan refugees in Pakistan face uncertainty as US freezes visa process

After the Washington, DC shooting incident, the US government has put all Afghan immigration requests on hold amid security concerns. Afghans who escaped the Taliban regime and reached Pakistan fear for their safety and are stressed over their resettlement applications, which are now frozen in the US.

US President Donald Trump called the attack “an act of terror” and ordered a review of Afghan nationals who entered the US under Joe Biden’s presidency. On Wednesday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the immigration process for Afghan nationals has been halted. This decision came hours after an Afghan man shot and critically wounded two security guards in Washington, near the White House.

According to Reuters, Afghan nationals fear for their safety following the announcement. Thousands of Afghans residing in Pakistan feel that their last route to safety has been closed.

Ahmed Samim Naimi, an Afghan national who worked as a TV presenter and press advisor under the previous US government, said, “I was deeply distressed when I heard this news. We have completed all required review procedures.”

Ahmed fled to Pakistan after the Taliban began arresting journalists and former government workers, and he subsequently applied for resettlement in the United States. “If I go back, one day you will certainly hear news of either my arrest or my death,” he told Reuters.

Since authorities in Pakistan have also begun a crackdown on Afghans, it has become impossible for them to stay without formal refugee status.

Although the Taliban had previously claimed that Afghanistan is now at peace and safe for citizens to return, many Afghans remain fearful of going back.