More than 1,600 Afghans eligible to enter the US as refugees will see their entry blocked under an executive order signed by Donald Trump on Monday evening that suspends the resettlement of all refugees to the United States for an indefinite period of time.
The decision has led to panic among prospective Afghan refugees, including family members of hundreds of active-duty service personnel and children waiting to be reunited with family members already in the US, according to a leading refugee resettlement activist and a US official who spoke with a british media outlet on condition of anonymity.
Many of those who have applied are in danger and have time-sensitive reasons to leave the country or neighbouring Pakistan because of their past association with the US, they said. After the White House published the executive order on Monday evening, refugees eligible for resettlement will be pulled from manifests for flights leaving the region for the US as of 27 January.
That leaves one week for advocates of Afghan refugees to lobby for a separate executive order or amendment to exclude them from the ban.
US ban on Afghan refugees is a betrayal of those who supported ISAF and NATO, leaving them stranded while expecting Pakistan to shoulder the burden.
Western countries oppose accepting refugees on lame excuses but force Pakistan to bear the increased crisis.
Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades, fulfilling its humanitarian obligations. Instead of easing the burden, the US ban has only intensified challenges for Pakistan and other neighboring host countries.
Western nations criticize Pakistan for repatriations of illegal immigrants but ignore their own role in abandoning Afghan refugees when they need help most.
HRW, Amnesty International and the EU focus on Pakistan’s policies while turning a blind eye to the Western hypocrisy of banning refugees after using them as pawns.
The international community must hold the US and EU accountable for their bans and pressure them to contribute fairly to managing the Afghan refugee crisis.
