It was planned for Saturday to signal the start of the Biden administration’s expanded assistance for Afghan allies who have been left behind. Afghans, though, spoke about the United States. The United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is unaware of any delays in the processing of referrals for Priority-1 and Priority-2 cases.
Just days before the ostensible implementation of modifications, enquiries about the beginning and duration of sorting received no response from the State Department. Speaking applicants outlined the severe difficulties brought on by the administration’s delay.
Nine applicants were moved to Pakistan since USRAP procedures must be carried out for 12 to 18 months from locations outside of Afghanistan. Despite the fact that they have not yet been assigned case numbers, two of these petitioners claimed to have moved after being referred to the USRAP. Despite the fact that they lack confirmation, they are most likely one of the 21,000 out of 46,000 applicants that were rejected, according to a State Department spokeswoman.
The United States is committed to welcoming more refugees in the upcoming fiscal year through a strengthened refugee admissions program. https://t.co/HbDjF6KbWX
— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) September 28, 2022
All Afghan refugees in Pakistan, whether or not they have case numbers, struggle to pay for the high expense of life in a nation where refugees are not allowed to work. Many applicants state that they cannot obtain healthcare and that their children cannot begin school.
Until applicants with open cases are assigned to a Resettlement Support Center, USRAP processing cannot start. None of the Pakistani candidates who spoke have been assigned to a Resettlement Support Center despite being in the country for at least six months. Many candidates are facing steep fines from the Pakistani government because they overstayed their visas. Through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, several candidates applied for refugee status. These applicants claim that the organization has neglected their requests for help. Regarding these charges, the UNHCR has not responded to my questions.
The terrible personal accounts serve as an example of how inaction by the US has had an impact. Priority-2 applicant Mohibullah, who moved to Pakistan in February 2022, claimed to have contacted the UNHCR hundreds of times with requests for help through phone calls, letters of complaint, and emails. Mohibullah claimed that because his visa had expired, he was unable to rent a residence for his family of eight.
