President Biden must support the most vulnerable in Afghanistan and lift refugee caps
Instructions:
Dear [name of your member of Congress],
I’m writing to you as your constituent to request your immediate support for the Afghan people through emergency humanitarian aid allocation, ensuring the aid is delivered safely, and urging the Department of State to grant humanitarian parole to all Afghans in danger--regardless of quotas. The Department of State must expand and expedite the processing of P1, P2, and P3 refugees from the region while also removing life-threatening obstacles to qualification for those programs. Further, the Department of Homeland Security must designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans already in the United States.
In addition to creating a security cordon around Kabul’s airport, the administration must live up to its promises to Afghans who cannot reach Kabul because of Taliban checkpoints. This means securing and opening the airports in Kandahar and Mazar Sharif.
While many advocates welcome the U.S. government’s evacuation of Afghan allies through the SIV program and the passage of the emergency security supplemental bill which includes funding for Afghan refugee assistance, I am concerned that the available pathways to safety for Afghans who were not directly involved with U.S. armed forces are extremely limited in scope and number.
Because the United States chose to hasten its withdrawal from Afghanistan during the height of the summer season when Taliban attacks are at their highest, ordinary Afghans were left unprepared to flee to safer areas. This will mean more Afghans than ever will be at the front-lines of conflict and face unprecedented levels of violence from an emboldened Taliban. Afghan refugees fleeing to neighboring nations like Pakistan and Iran are already being turned away.
Vulnerable Afghan women, children, and men who come from impoverished, rural areas, members of the Hazara community, journalists, activists, humanitarian workers, other ethnic and religious minorities likely face two options if the security situation continues to worsen: abject degradation at the hands of the Taliban or death.
I echo the calls from humanitarian and refugee resettlement organizations to increase the capacity of NGOs operating in the country to make referrals for the P1 program, especially for women and girls, activists, and religious and ethnic minorities.
Additionally, the increased allocation for P2 refugees is fraught with complications. As noted in the InterAction statement dated August 2, 2021, “Application for P-2 visas requires individuals to flee Afghanistan and apply from neighboring countries. InterAction feels that this is unacceptable, as several critical border crossing checkpoints are now under Taliban control and Afghanistan’s neighbors may not necessarily welcome these individuals and their families.” I urge you to closely follow the recommendations outlined in the InterAction statement to mitigate these issues.
I understand U.S. involvement in Afghanistan has to come to an end. But the U.S. also has a moral responsibility to do everything it can to mitigate the humanitarian consequences of its withdrawal from the country. The United States can do this by ensuring aid organizations are allowed to deliver aid without endangerment from the Taliban and call for all parties to respect international humanitarian law. I implore you to act now. Thank you.
Respectfully,
[Your name]
[Your zip code]
PHONE SCRIPT
Hello, My name is ____ and I live at _______ in ______.
I am calling to urge my representative to support the immediate evacuation of women, civil society activists, human rights defenders, LGBTQ+, religious and ethnic minorities, and other vulnerable groups from Afghanistan.
We must broaden visa eligibility and expedite processing for SIV, P1, and P2 visas. Afghans in danger who do not qualify for those programs must be granted humanitarian parole and refugee quotas waived. We must demand that third-party processing countries drop visa requirements for those fleeing Afghanistan. These requirements are difficult to meet in the best of times, let alone during a humanitarian disaster and political collapse. Further, the DHS must designate Afghans for Temporary Protected Status to prevent deportations or other returns to Afghanistan for Afghans who are already in the United States.
The US must supply government-run evacuation flights for the most vulnerable Afghansand use its influence to keep the Kabul airport operational. Further, the US must work to open the airports in Kandahar and Mazar Sharif so Afghans who cannot reach Kabul can also reach safety.
I understand U.S. involvement in Afghanistan has to come to an end. But the U.S. also has a moral responsibility to do everything it can to mitigate the humanitarian consequences of its withdrawal from the country. After pursuing 20 years of failed policies that have created a humanitarian crisis, the absolute least the US can do is provide refuge to those seeking it. Thank you.
If you are able, please consider donating directly to established, reputable organizations working in Afghanistan. I understand there is a preference among the Afghan diaspora to donate directly to trusted contacts through ad-hoc fundraisers, GoFundMes, and Western Union, but there are a couple of very important reasons to donate to established organizations.
Donations links to reputable organizations providing life-saving care in Afghanistan:
Can Americans sponsor Afghans to come to the US? Yes. See this link for more information.