Afghan Refugees in Limbo as US Suspends Resettlement, Pakistan Threatens Deportation

Afghan Refugees Face Uncertain Future as Trump Suspends Resettlement Program

Hamed Paykar, an Afghan journalist, and his family were on the verge of starting a new life in the United States. They had passed all the necessary security checks and medical examinations for their P-2 visas, a special category for Afghans who worked with American forces or programs. Their flight was scheduled for February 5th, but then came Donald Trump's inauguration and the suspension of the US refugee program.

Paykar and his family were devastated. They had sold their belongings, ended their rental contract, and prepared for their departure. Now, they were left in limbo, unsure of their future.

The executive order also impacted thousands of other Afghan refugees who had been approved for resettlement but not yet assigned flights. It left them in a state of uncertainty and fear.

Adding to their woes, Pakistan's interior ministry ordered all "illegal foreigners" and Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave the country by March 31st. This meant that even if the US refugee program was reinstated, it would be too late for many Afghans who had already been waiting for years.

Paykar and his family are now facing an uncertain future. They fear that if they are sent back to Afghanistan, they could be targeted by the Taliban. They feel abandoned by the US, a country they once trusted.

Shakoofa Khalili, a lawyer and human rights activist, is also facing a similar situation. She and her family fled to Pakistan in 2022 after the Taliban started targeting activists. Her husband was arrested by Pakistani police, and her young daughter has been traumatized by the experience.

Khalili feels that the US has abandoned its Afghan allies. She and thousands of others are now stranded, with no way forward and no way back.

Naveed, an Afghan national who was deported back to Afghanistan, is already living the nightmare that Paykar and Khalili fear. He is living in constant fear and desperately wants to leave again.

The situation for Afghan refugees is dire. They are caught between a rock and a hard place, with no clear path to safety. Their future remains uncertain, and their hopes for a better life are fading.