Afghan special visa program swamped post-US withdrawal: Watchdog.
The State Department’s Efforts to Process Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Applications Fall Short, Inspector General Report Finds
The State Department’s efforts to swiftly process hundreds of thousands of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applications have not been enough to significantly decrease the waiting list, according to a new report from the inspector general’s office.
Despite dedicating more resources to the program and attempting to streamline the process in early 2021, the department was still unable to handle the overwhelming increase in demand caused by the Taliban’s takeover at the end of the United States’s 20 years in Afghanistan, the IG said in the report.
Challenges in the Visa Program
Afghans who worked alongside U.S. military personnel or contractors are eligible for these visas. However, Congress has only approved the allocation of 38,500 principal visas since 2004, which are for individuals who worked with the military. The State Department stated that their families can submit “derivative” visa applications for spouses or minor children of principal applicants. As of April 2023, only 15,377 of those visas were still available, according to the Congressional Quarterly report.
The report detailed the department’s efforts to streamline the Afghan SIV applicant process, including increasing staffing, coordinating with the Department of Defense for employment verification, and eliminating certain application requirements. However, these actions did not successfully reduce the Afghan SIV applicant backlog as of December 2022.
The backlog of principal Afghan SIV applicants reached nearly 155,000 by December 2022. When considering their family members, the State Department estimated that over 840,000 principal applicants and family members remained in Afghanistan as of April 2023, approximately 20 months after the end of the war. The current status of their visa applications is unclear.
Efforts to Improve the Program
“At the President’s direction, we have undertaken substantial efforts to improve the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program to streamline the application and adjudication processes, while safeguarding our national security,” a State Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. The department has increased resources and staff dedicated to the program and continuously reviews the application process for areas of improvement.
Since the start of the Biden administration through August 1, 2023, the department has issued nearly 34,000 SIVs to principal applicants and their eligible family members, representing significant yearly increases compared to previous years.
Concerns and Calls for Action
The IG report highlighted that SIV applicants leaving the country are dependent on Taliban cooperation and freedom of movement. Andrew Sullivan, director of advocacy at No One Left Behind, emphasized that the promise was not limited to the first 38,500 applicants but extended to all eligible partners. He urged Congress to take action and increase the number of available visas.
Legislation to address this issue is currently being considered on Capitol Hill but has not yet passed both chambers.
A recent report from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documented numerous human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests, committed by the Taliban. Sullivan argued that this report demonstrates the lack of urgency in providing support to Afghan allies.
It is clear that more needs to be done to address the challenges faced by Afghan SIV applicants and ensure that those who have worked alongside the U.S. military are not left behind.
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