Afghan refugees who had worked alongside US institutions and military forces protested on Friday against the ongoing suspension of the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), saying the delay has left them stranded in Pakistan for years and exposed to growing danger.
The refugees who included P1 and P2 case holders read a public statement decrying what they called a humanitarian failure.
“We, Afghan refugees who believed in democracy, stood as loyal allies of the United States in the fight against terrorism,” the group said in their statement. “It has now been six months since our futures were pushed into limbo due to a political decision by the White House. This is a disgrace for a nation that calls itself a defender of freedom and human rights.”
The refugees say they completed all necessary steps — including security screenings, medical evaluations and interviews — before the Biden administration paused the program earlier this year. Many had been awaiting relocation for more than three years.
The statement highlighted the deep sense of abandonment felt by the group. “In Afghanistan, we are labeled as ‘traitors loyal to America.’ In Pakistan, we are stateless and voiceless. In America, we have been forgotten,” it read.
Hundreds of these Afghans had worked as interpreters, advisers and project staff for US military and civilian agencies, making them targets for retaliation by the Taliban following the collapse of the Afghan government in 2021.
“We are more exposed to terrorist threats than any American — because we have no safe path home, and no real protection from the country we once stood beside,” they said.
The refugees called on the US government to resume the resettlement process immediately, warning that continued delays were turning a moral obligation into a political casualty. “Please, do not make us victims of your politics,” they urged.
There has been no official response from the US Embassy in Islamabad or the State Department regarding the latest appeal.
