The United States government has issued a seven day ultimatum for thousands of Afghan refugees to leave the country, raising alarm among human rights organisations, refugee advocates, and members of Congress who warn the decision places lives at grave risk.
According to Shawn VanDiver, President of AfghanEvac, a leading organisation supporting Afghan resettlement, written notices have been sent to an unspecified number of Afghan refugees—many of whom arrived after the U.S. military’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan—warning them to leave the country within a week. The move follows the Department of Homeland Security’s recent decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 14,600 Afghan nationals.
TPS had allowed Afghan refugees to remain in the U.S legally and shielded them from deportation to Taliban controlled Afghanistan, where returnees especially those linked to the former Afghan government or U.S forces face serious threats of detention, torture, or death.
VanDiver called the decision “unacceptable,” noting that many of those facing deportation include the families of U.S. military personnel, female pilots, judges, and prosecutors who collaborated with American-led efforts. “Sending them back is not just dangerous—it is a betrayal of those who risked their lives for our mission,” he said in a post on X.
The warning comes amid mounting criticism of the U.S. government’s approach to Afghan refugee resettlement. The situation was exacerbated by the suspension of the refugee resettlement program under former President Donald Trump in January 2025, which removed nearly 1,660 pre-approved Afghan refugees from flight manifests.
Human rights organisations and Democratic members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee condemned the decision as “shameful” and a “betrayal of Afghan allies.” The U.S. Refugee Assistance Afghan Coalition also submitted an open letter urging the President and Congress to reverse the decision and uphold protections for vulnerable Afghans.
According to The Washington Post, the lives of thousands who had undergone extensive vetting and spent years awaiting resettlement are now in jeopardy. The prospect of returning to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is particularly dire for women and those who served with U.S. forces, given the regime’s repressive policies.
AfghanEvac and other advocacy groups have urged affected individuals not to leave the U.S. and to consult immigration attorneys immediately, warning that leaving the country could endanger their legal options.
As pressure mounts on the administration to reconsider, critics argue that the U.S must honour its commitments to its Afghan partners and maintain a humane, responsible refugee policy.
