Washington: US lawmakers pressed the State Department over the fate of Afghan allies awaiting relocation, raising concerns about payments for voluntary return and the planned closure of a processing facility housing more than 1,000 Afghans.
During a House subcommittee hearing on South and Central Asia on Wednesday (local time), Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur faced pointed questions about US policy toward Afghans still in limbo.
The State Department “aims to close down” the relocation facility at CAS by the end of March and relocate “over 1000 Afghans to third countries,” Democratic Ranking Member Sydney Kamlager-Dove said, describing the situation as “a living nightmare” for those awaiting resettlement.
Kapur confirmed the numbers.
“There are between 1100 and 1200 Afghans on the facility at CAS, and we’re looking to relocate them,” he said.
“We’re in negotiations with third countries to do that,” Kapur added, arguing that indefinite stays were not viable. “Keeping them indefinitely on CAS is really not humane.”
Lawmakers questioned reports that the department was offering payments for voluntary departure.
Kamlager-Dove said the State Department “is offering payments to Afghan allies at best to self-deport back to the Taliban,” and asked how many had accepted.
“I believe it’s in the neighbourhood of 150,” Kapur responded, adding that he would confirm the figures.
He emphasised that returns were not being forced.
“We are not forcibly repatriating Afghans to Afghanistan; some have gone of their own volition, but we’re not forcing anybody,” Kapur said.
The hearing also addressed congressional oversight of the relocation process. Congress passed a law in 2024 requiring the appointment of a coordinator for Afghan relocation efforts.
Asked whether he was now serving in that role, Kapur said: “I am the Assistant Secretary of South and Central Asia, and care comes under SCA, the Office of Afghan Affairs.”
“I have that responsibility structurally now,” he added.
Kamlager-Dove urged greater transparency and regular briefings for members and staff, warning that the administration’s handling of Afghan allies would shape its legacy.
“The betrayal of our Afghan allies” is “one of the great moral catastrophes of this administration,” she said, adding that the issue would be remembered “for the history books.”
Subcommittee Chair Bill Huizenga also pressed Kapur for updates on the broader Afghanistan policy review, which he described as an “ongoing process.”
Kapur said the review was “an ongoing process” and “an interagency process,” adding that he would remain “as transparent and open as I possibly can be.”
The exchange reflected continuing tensions in Washington over the aftermath of the 2021 withdrawal and the handling of Afghans who worked alongside US forces.
Lawmakers also raised concerns about women and girls in Afghanistan and educational access, with Kapur saying the United States “support(s) that women should, and girls should be educated just like boys and men.”
The debate comes as the administration recalibrates its South and Central Asia strategy, balancing regional security priorities with humanitarian obligations.
Following the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s return to power, thousands of Afghans who assisted American forces sought relocation under special visa and resettlement programs.
(IANS)
