Exodus of American Translators from Afghanistan

On Friday morning, a plane with about 200 Afghans landed in Washington, D.C., where they have been cooperating with the U.S. military in Afghanistan in recent years, providing logistical support and acting as translators with locals. It should follow this type of first aircraft and more, because Joe Biden’s US administration has decided to expel hundreds and thousands of Afghan military collaborators after leaving the country to avoid retaliation.

The expulsion comes at a time when there is a radical Islamist group of the Taliban It regains control of various parts of Afghanistan, Now the US military withdrawal is almost complete: the soldiers should theoretically leave Afghanistan By September 11th, But most men and means have already been stripped.

The administration of US President Joe Biden has decided to expel the interpreters and other Afghan collaborators and their families into the United States, and to escape retaliation by the Taliban when American troops finally leave. Afghanistan. In all, according to the White House, about 20,000 Afghans have cooperated with the United States over the years and demanded their expulsion (a number that should include their family members: in total, about 100,000 people).

However, it is very difficult that all these people will be deported to the United States, and some of them will remain in Afghanistan, at risk, part of the process due to rigorous selection and deportation. But complicated and confusing.

The application has already been accepted and 2,500 translators and collaborators on special visas residing in the United States, of whom 700 are collaborators and interpreters and the rest are their families. They will be joined by about 74,000 Afghans who have already immigrated to the United States since 2008, based on a special program introduced by the Barack Obama administration.

According to the document obtained by Associated Press, The plane, which landed Friday morning, was carrying 221 Afghans, including 57 children and 15 children. President Joe Biden commented on their visit That “The United States is fulfilling its promise to the thousands of Afghan civilians who have worked shoulder to shoulder with US troops and ambassadors in Afghanistan over the past 20 years.” Biden thanked «For these brave Afghans on the American side, I am proud to say to them today: ‘Come home’.

The evictions are being carried out with great caution on the part of the United States, which is trying to maintain the anonymity of the people involved. Charlotte Bellis, reporter Al Jazeera In the capital, Kabul, he said the US embassy was “extremely confidential” about how the evictions took place on Friday morning: they told us that they were incredibly concerned about the security and privacy of these interpreters. They fear that if any information is leaked about who they are and how they leave the country, these people will be in danger.

In recent months, due to the progressive withdrawal of the US military and the weakness of the Afghan police and army, this danger has come from the Taliban, which has led to a major improvement in the recapture of various parts of the country (in some cases) without even a single shot being fired, but using the escape of depressed Afghan army soldiers. The Taliban have officially declared that the people who cooperated with the United States and its allies have no fear, and that there will be no retaliation against them, but many believe that will not be the case.

Wartime allies who assist interpreters during wartime estimates that half of those evacuated live outside Kabul, in areas where many roads are controlled by Taliban checkpoints. The former U.S. Army soldier now serves in the union Washington Post He said it was almost impossible for these people to leave Afghanistan now, and that the Biden administration should be ready for evacuation by January, and that the Taliban had not yet recaptured much of the country. “The truth is, some of these people will die. Why didn’t the US military expel them when they had the opportunity to do so? He said.

Many who demanded their expulsion said the move had so far been confusing and left many in a state of limbo, waiting to see when and how they could leave the country. A former translator said he had collaborated with the United States for eight years in Kandahar, anonymously Washington Post You have been instructed to prepare your passport to leave, but no further information was available. Others said a similar situation Al Jazeera: Some said they made the request three years ago, and it is not yet known whether they will be evicted.

– read more: The Taliban recapture Afghanistan