CNN
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For greater than a yr, I’ve been attempting to assist a household depart Afghanistan for security and a brand new life overseas. I met one member of the household of 4 years in the past on a number of assignments in Afghanistan and we have now stayed in contact by means of the numerous ups and downs of the conflict and its aftermath.
The daddy is eligible to use for a Particular Immigrant Visa resulting from his service alongside the US army. He was accredited, which places him and his household among the many fortunate ones. Many tens of hundreds extra are nonetheless ready for approval, however even that, if it comes, isn’t a ticket out.
The US State Division licensed this father to petition for SIV standing and US Citizenship and Immigration Companies (an company of the Division of Homeland Safety) accredited his SIV petition. Nonetheless, SIV approval doesn’t equal freedom for him and different Afghans with comparable standing – removed from it. The obstacles, forms and delays have plagued this system because the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. And final week, Congress eliminated language from the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act that may have prolonged this system for an additional yr.
The story of this one household – whose id I’m intentionally withholding for his or her security – is considered one of repeated disappointments. I first tried to get them in a foreign country on a US army airplane in late August 2021 as US forces have been withdrawing. There was no set course of for doing so, nothing shut. Their solely likelihood was to navigate a crowd of lots of bearing down on Abbey Gate at Kabul’s worldwide airport, wave their papers within the air and hope a US service member noticed them and allow them to into the airfield.
Sadly, no troopers noticed them. It was solely the mom’s exhaustion months into her being pregnant that led them to go away the airport. That call could have saved their lives. They missed the lethal suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, which killed 13 US service members (a few of the similar women and men this household have been attempting desperately to flag down) and practically 200 Afghan civilians, by simply hours.
Their effort to flee Afghanistan was simply starting. The following problem was to use for the SIV. The daddy labored for the US army for a enough time frame and in a enough capability to qualify. He had proof of the size and particulars of his employment, and letters from his employer supporting his utility.
He additionally had the benefit of associates right here within the US, together with myself; David Leopold, who’s a lawyer with Ulmer and Berne LLP; and Alex Plitsas of the Human First Coalition, working to get his utility so as and, the place potential, advocate to maneuver it alongside by means of the approval course of. Even with this assist, it took him near a yr to obtain provisional approval.
However approval is only a first step. Subsequent up is satisfying but extra US authorities forms, together with determining the place to do your embassy SIV interview. Afghanistan is just not an possibility because the US withdrew. There isn’t any longer a US embassy in Kabul. That leaves Afghan SIV candidates the duty of discovering their strategy to third nations – “lily pads,” as they’ve come to be recognized – led by Qatar. Different nations, reminiscent of Pakistan, Albania and Iran, have served as transit factors for some refugees, although in these nations candidates typically need to help themselves.
To get to a type of nations, Afghans want passports – a relative luxurious for a lot of. Within the case of this household, the daddy has one, however his spouse and youngsters don’t. Making use of for and receiving a passport from the Taliban-controlled authorities, like so many steps on this course of, is tough and generally unattainable. The Taliban has periodically closed the passport workplace, or restricted entry to solely members of the Taliban. I’m instructed by advocacy teams that when the workplace is open, the method is rife with bribery. Getting a single passport can value hundreds of {dollars}, a fortune for Afghans, and the danger of fraud is gigantic. Extra not too long ago, there was one other problem: a scarcity of the passport books themselves.
If and when a household can get passports – the household I’m serving to continues to be attempting – they need to then determine the place they’ll apply to have their consular interview, which is the subsequent step within the SIV course of. Pakistan, which is accessible through land, is crowded with Afghans who escaped however can go no additional and non-Pashtuns face threats there. The anticipate interviews will be months. Qatar has set a tough restrict on the variety of Afghans allowed in. And it may be tough for Afghans to handle journey to Albania, one other “lily pad” nation.
For these fortunate sufficient to rearrange an interview in a type of nations, the mathematics standing in the best way of touring is harrowing. Immediately, there are 15,000 principal candidates cleared to fly and the State Division estimates greater than 30,000 instant relations as properly, totaling some 50,000 Afghans already accredited and able to go. The State Division tells CNN it had been managing to get solely about 250 Afghans and their relations in a foreign country per week. At that price, it can take practically 4 years to get all SIV-approved Afghans and their households out to security.
However these flights have stopped in latest weeks because of the World Cup being hosted in Qatar and usually are not anticipated to start once more till the brand new yr. It’s estimated that greater than 100,000 extra, who could also be eligible however have but to be accredited, are ready behind them.
These months and years of ready usually are not simply irritating. They are often harmful. Many who served with the US army share accounts of the Taliban searching them down. They transfer from secure home to secure home, if they’ve entry to 1, or journey round on their very own, generally separate from their households.
This story has been up to date with extra particulars.
