WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The US administration has held secret talks with several countries in an attempt to secure deals to temporarily house Afghan refugees who have worked for the US government, four US officials told Reuters.
These discussions have been held with countries like Kosovo and Albania and underscore the Biden administration’s desire to protect Afghans linked to the United States from possible Taliban retaliation.
As the Taliban tighten its grip on Afghanistan at a breakneck pace, the United States announced Thursday that it will send 1,000 people to Qatar to speed up the processing of special immigrant visa (SIV) applications.
Afghans who have served as interpreters for the US government can apply for an SIV.
To date, nearly 1,200 Afghans have been evacuated to the United States and this number is expected to rise to 3,500 in the coming weeks as part of Operation Allied Refugees.
Fearing that the Taliban’s advance would increase the threat to SIV candidates, Washington is seeking third countries to welcome them until their paperwork is completed.
(Report Idrees Ali, Jonathan Landay, Humeyra Pamuk and Ted Hesson, with Fatos Bytyci; French version Camille Raynaud)
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