WASHINGTON — Roughly 36,000 Afghans who were evacuated from their country after its collapse in August lack a direct pathway to permanent residency in the U.S., according to a new Department of Homeland Security report to Congress.
The evacuees, who have mostly been relocated to the U.S., include extended family members of Afghans in line for special immigrant visas, reserved for Afghans who directly assisted the U.S. military and diplomatic mission during the 20-year conflict. The group also includes vulnerable Afghans who are likely to face risk under Taliban rule but who don’t qualify for special immigrant visas under the narrow parameters of the program.
These evacuees received temporary humanitarian parole when they entered the U.S. — a status granted to immigrants without visas for pressing humanitarian reasons — but can only attain legal permanent residency if they apply for asylum through the traditional system, which is beset by backlogs.
