UAE repatriates Afghan evacuees before Trump could act; Biden and Trump’s divergent policies leave refugees in limbo

As the UAE begins repatriating stranded Afghan evacuees, bypassing potential US intervention, thousands remain caught in legal limbo. While Biden resettled 200,000 Afghans post-withdrawal, Trump’s halted refugee programs and revoked deportation protections now endanger vulnerable families.

New Delhi: Before Donald Trump could assist Afghan evacuees who had fled their country and become stranded in various parts of the world, including the UAE, the Emirati government had already begun repatriating them. The UAE administration has also formally communicated this decision to Washington.

While Donald Trump may claim credit for initiating the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Joe Biden also gave impetus to the process, which continued during his presidency. When the intransigent Taliban overthrew the US-backed Afghan government, widespread panic ensued, prompting many Afghans to flee to other countries.

Being a close security partner, the UAE, in 2021, agreed to temporarily house several thousand evacuated Afghans from Kabul. Throughout the years, about 17,000 Afghan evacuees have been processed through the Abu Dhabi facility, known as Emirates Humanitarian City. Yet today, more than 30 Afghans remain in legal limbo, their futures uncertain.

The future of more than 30 Afghan refugees and the way the US administration handles their cases could prove to be very important for about 1,500 Afghan men, women, and children stranded in Qatar's Camp As Sayiliya.

The Joe Biden administration has so far resettled about 200,000Afghans in the US after America's chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

At the same time, Donald Trump, a Republican leader who has been talking about toughening the immigration policy, had put a stop to the refugee resettlement program after becoming president. Apart from this, in April he also ended the temporary deportation protection (TPS) given to thousands of Afghans living in the US.

Leaders of the Democratic Party have urged Trump to reinstate temporary protected status for Afghan citizens, as women and children could face serious threats under Taliban rule.

Since the Taliban came to power, the rights of Afghan women and girls have been largely abolished. They now face many restrictions in education, work, and everyday life.

Those seeking asylum in the US include Afghans who worked for the US government, as well as Afghan families of US soldiers, relatives of Afghans already settled in the US, and children who have been approved for reunification with their parents.

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