Exclusive: Qatar plans to suspend evacuation flights for Afghan refugees hoping to resettle in the U.S. while the country hosts soccer’s World Cup next month, according to refugee advocates, congressional aides and a source familiar with the plans.
in the run-up to the World Cup, the largest scale international event ever held in the tiny Gulf nation.
News of the flight cancellations has started to spread online in Afghanistan, said an Afghan father who worked for the U.S. and is still waiting to leave Afghanistan. Asked about Qatar’s plans and whether the U.S. had appealed to Doha to continue with the flights, a State Department spokesperson said: “We remain committed to supporting Afghan relocation to the United States and greatly appreciate Qatar’s partnership.”
The Biden administration has not released up-to-date numbers on how many Afghans are in the pipeline for special immigrant visas. A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. has issued more than 18,000 special immigrant visas to Afghan applicants and their family members from January 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022.