Seeking asylum for SIV applicants: A desperate bid by the Biden administration
Taliban's offensive continues in Afghanistan
Recent reports reveal that President Joe Biden's administration has held secret talks with more countries than previously known in a desperate attempt to secure deals for temporarily housing at-risk Afghans working for the US government.
Seeing the Taliban's advances as a threat to those still awaiting Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), Washington is looking for third countries to host them until their paperwork is completed and they can come to the United States, as per a Reuter's report.
An official in the know says that an agreement to house about 8,000 Afghans in Qatar, a country that has a large US military base, has been close for weeks, but no official announcement has been made.
Afghanistan nationals who served as interpreters and/or performed other jobs,for the US government, can apply to the SIV program.
So far, approximately 1,200 Afghans have been evacuated to the United States under "Operation Allies Refuge" with an additional 3,500 expected in the coming weeks. Some Afghans will be taken to a US military base in Virginia for paperwork and some will go directly to US hosts.
Taking into account the Taliban's rapid advance in Afghanistan, the United States has decided to send around 1,000 personnel to Qatar to expedite the processing of SIVs.
Countries hesitant
As per two US officials, who wanted to stay anonymous, concerns surround the quality of security vetting and health screening in the COVID-19 process before the Afghans could fly, resulting in some countries hesitating to accept the Afghans.
The Biden administration explored having Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan accept thousands of applicants, but that effort has so far proved ineffective.
"There's concerns that you might expect: 'Who are these people? How do you know these people? Can you assure that these people will get visas to the United States? Who's going to care for and feed these people. What happens if these people wander off this facility you've got them in?" a senior State Department official said.
After encountering reluctance from some countries, the US has turned to others who might be willing to help, in exchange for assistance.
For taking in several thousand Afghans, the United States has offered concessions to Kosovo in economic and political terms, but officials are concerned about the country's capacity to house the new arrivals.
The 1,200 Afghans evacuated represent less than 1 per cent of the 21,000 people on the SIV pipeline, and the Biden administration has been struggling to find temporary housing for the evacuees.
When family members are counted, advocates estimate that 50,000 and 80,000 people will be evacuated under the SIV program.
(With inputs from agencies)