Trump Vows to Aid Afghans Detained in UAE
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he intends to help Afghans who have been detained in the United Arab Emirates for years after fleeing their country following the Taliban’s takeover.
A Shift in Stance on Afghan Refugees?
Trump, a Republican who has often criticized high levels of immigration, had previously suspended refugee resettlement upon taking office in January. In April, his administration also terminated temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans residing in the U.S.
“I will try to save them, starting right now,” Trump declared in a post on Truth Social, linking to an article about the Afghans held in limbo in the UAE.
The UAE, a key security partner of the United States, agreed in 2021 to temporarily shelter several thousand Afghans evacuated from Kabul as the Taliban rapidly gained control during the final stages of the U.S.-led withdrawal. In 2022, Canada committed to resettling approximately 1,000 of these Afghans at the request of the U.S. It remains unclear how many Afghans are still being held in the Gulf country.
In contrast, former President Joe Biden’s administration brought nearly 200,000 Afghans to the U.S. since the chaotic military withdrawal from Kabul. These refugees include family members of Afghan-American U.S. military personnel, children approved to reunite with their parents, relatives of already admitted Afghans, and tens of thousands of Afghans who had worked for the U.S. government during the two-decade-long conflict.
