The administration announced a reduction in visa and protection opportunities for Afghan citizens.

The administration announced the process of ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans, which previously protected more than 8,000 people from deportation. The administration is also reviewing the grounds for issuing Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) to Afghans who served as interpreters, special operations partners, or embassy employees.

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Afghanistan has been added to the list of countries whose citizens face restrictions on tourist visas. The administration also suspended the processing of refugee applications, except for white South Africans. Many Afghans who were evacuated during Operation Allies Welcome do not meet the requirements for SIVs, such as the two-year work experience requirement. These individuals are now required to apply for asylum, which does not guarantee a favorable outcome. Republican Congressman Don Bacon supported a bill to extend TPS for Afghans until 2029. He described the extension as a temporary solution and advocated for a permanent path to citizenship. Sean VanDiver, the founder of the #AfghanEvac organization, stated that approximately 260,000 Afghans remain in an uncertain situation across 90 countries while waiting for the United States to fulfill its promises.

Sources

• UA.NEWS
  US narrows protections and entry routes for Afghans — The Hill

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Paywall and unreadable sources

• WSJ
  Opinion | The Path to Zero: The Tragic Withdrawal From Afghanistan
• The Hill
  5 years after withdrawal, a grave picture for Afghans inside and outside the US
• New York Post
  True horrors of Biden’s Afghan pullout emerge on 5th anniversary of suicide bomb: ‘Witness to atrocities, war crimes’
• Amu TV
  Inside the final 15 days of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan