Trump's Policy Leaves 1,100 Afghans Stranded in Qatar Camp

Jakarta (ANTARA) - More than 1,100 Afghan citizens who claim to have worked with US forces are still stranded in Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, after the Donald Trump administration froze the relocation programme, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported on Tuesday that US officials stated Washington is negotiating with at least three countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia to resettle the group after the deadline for closing the former US military base on 31 March passed. “When the deadline passed without explanation or follow-up, hope turned to despair,” said Shawn VanDiver of Afghan Evac, adding that many of them are now “like prisoners due to bureaucratic incompetence.” Several US lawmakers have also urged immediate action. “We cannot wash our hands of them,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, warning that they risk facing reprisals from the Taliban if returned. US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott blamed the Joe Biden administration, stating that the situation is a consequence of the “chaotic and poorly managed withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.”