ISLAMABAD:
The relationship between Pakistan and the US under President Donald Trump is facing a challenge after the new president suspended the refugee program initiated during the Biden administration, which aimed to resettle thousands of Afghans currently living in Pakistan.
Around 25,000 Afghans, eligible for the US refugee program, were granted temporary residence in Pakistan at Washington’s request after fleeing Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Many of these individuals had worked for the US military or its contractors. Pakistan agreed to host them temporarily, expecting the resettlement process to be completed within months.
However, three and a half years later, the resettlement process remains unresolved. The Biden administration had assured Pakistan that these Afghans would be resettled through programs such as the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
On his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order suspending US refugee programs, disrupting this process.
As a result, nearly 1,660 Afghans, including family members of US military personnel, have had their flights canceled under Trump’s order, according to a US official and a leading refugee advocate. The group also includes unaccompanied minors awaiting reunification with their families in the US and Afghans at risk of Taliban retaliation.
This decision also leaves thousands of other Afghans approved for resettlement in limbo, as they have not yet been assigned flights.
Trump made immigration reform a major campaign promise during his successful 2024 election bid, leaving the fate of US refugee programs uncertain. Both the White House and the State Department, which oversees these programs, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Pakistan has expressed increasing concern over this development. An official familiar with the matter commented that while Pakistan had anticipated potential issues with the refugee program under Trump’s administration, the abrupt action came as a surprise.
Just before President Trump’s inauguration, a meeting was held in Pakistan’s Foreign Office to discuss the situation of Afghans stranded in Pakistan, with officials urging the US to expedite the resettlement process.
The presence of these Afghans, many of whom are trained military personnel or intelligence workers, poses a security concern. In 2023, when Pakistan launched a crackdown on illegal Afghan migrants, the US intervened to request that those eligible for resettlement be spared, a request Pakistan agreed to, urging swift completion of the process.
With the Trump administration focusing on stricter immigration policies, this situation may lead to tensions between the US and Pakistan over the resettlement of Afghans.
