New name, same mission! LIRS is now Global Refuge. Learn more.

Stand with refugees.

This giving season, double your impact for refugee and immigrant families with a 2X matched donation up to $50,000.

The browser you are using is not supported. Please consider using a modern browser.

Skip Navigation
Donate
Start of main content.

Press Release // Refugee Resettlement

U.S. Deploying Additional Troops to Support Relocation of Embassy Staff and Allies from Afghanistan

Global Refuge logo

Global Refuge Staff

August 12, 2021

Contact: Timothy Young | timothy.young@globalrefuge.org | 443-257-6310

Washington D.C. – The State Department and Department of Defense confirmed today that the United States will temporarily send an additional 3,000 military personnel to Afghanistan to provide security as it evacuates some personnel from the U.S. embassy in Kabul, as well as 1,000 service members to Qatar. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby noted that troops will also be involved in accelerating the processing and movement of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants.

The relocation of embassy staff comes as the Taliban makes significant advances, with U.S. officials estimating the Afghan government could fall within 90 days. The deteriorating security situation is unfolding as the U.S. executes “Operation Allies Refuge” – an effort to relocate thousands of Afghan interpreters, drivers, support staff, and other allies who run the risk of Taliban retribution as a result of their faithful service.

The following is a statement by Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge – a national refugee resettlement agency that advocates for and welcomes Afghan allies through the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program:

“We are grateful that there are assurances of relocation of Afghan allies alongside American civilians, though it is unfortunate this urgency has only been spurred months later by a dire security situation.

It is paramount that we now see a clear plan for relocation of allies from the administration before the security situation further deteriorates. We remain concerned that Afghan allies will be evacuated to Qatar, a country that is not a signatory to the refugee convention and does not assure freedom of expression or movement.

The easiest and most efficient way forward is to move allies to U.S. territory. The U.S. has already welcomed 1,200 allies and family members through Fort Lee, Virginia, and Guam remains a viable and historically reliable staging ground for processing.

Anything less than a full evacuation of all allies and their family members in danger would be an abdication of our moral responsibility.

The Latest

  • News

    November 26, 2024

    Jesus Was a Refugee: An Advent Calendar Devotional

    We invite you to download our Advent Story Calendar. Each day of Advent, as you reflect on the Holy Family's journey as a displaced people at the vulnerable time of childbirth, experience stories of immigrants, former refugees, and supporters in their own words as together, we build a more welcoming world.  

    Read More
  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    November 6, 2024

    Global Refuge Reaffirms Commitment to Refugees and Immigrants as Nation Prepares for New Administration

    In the wake of the 2024 presidential election, Global Refuge remains steadfast in its mission to serve vulnerable immigrant and refugee communities across the United States.

    Read More
  • News

    October 31, 2024

    What’s America’s superpower? Immigration, says Global Refuge’s Krish O’Mara Vignarajah

    Global Refuge President & CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah recently took the stage at TEDxApex Women in Apex, North Carolina to make the case that the United States owes its preeminence on the global stage to one key asset: immigration.  

    Read More
  • Advocacy · Immigration and Asylum

    October 23, 2024

    What is the CHNV Parole Program?

    The Biden administration opened a new program allowing certain nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to apply for entry to  the U.S. for a temporary stay of up to two years.

    Read More
  • Advocacy

    October 17, 2024

    Six Migration and Climate Displacement Takeaways from Climate Week NYC

    The Global Refuge Advocacy team attended the 2024 Climate Week NYC—a massive gathering of practitioners from public policy, philanthropy, the private sector, science, and other disciplines focused on the climate crisis.

    Read More

Share