The Ever-Present Question: Evacuation Efforts In Afghanistan

Efforts to evacuate Afghanistan have been ongoing since the Taliban seized the capital on 15 August 2021. The US has been carrying out evacuations in coordination with the Taliban, who have held off on attacking Americans under a 2020 withdrawal deal. Since 14 August, the US has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of about 37,000 people. The Pentagon is aiming to evacuate up to 22,000 Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants, their families, and other at-risk people. The US has welcomed more than 74,000 Afghans through Operation Allies Welcome and nearly 75,000 Afghans have been evacuated to the US so far.

The US has evacuated around 75,000 Afghans, with more than 38,000 relocated to US communities

The US has evacuated more than 74,000 Afghans through Operation Allies Welcome and is prepared to facilitate the resettlement of additional qualifying Afghans in the coming weeks and months. This includes the roughly 3,000 individuals at overseas transit locations for processing to enter the US.

As of December 7, 2021, more than 43,000 Afghans had arrived in their new US communities, including those who did not go to domestic military bases or who left the sites independently. Of the 75,000 Afghans evacuated to the US, about 20% are either US citizens or permanent residents. The rest are people who have received or are in the process of receiving Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and Afghans considered particularly vulnerable under Taliban rule.

The US government expects to admit more than 50,000 evacuated Afghans. As of January 31, 2022, more than 68,000 Afghans had been resettled in communities across the country, in coordination with more than 290 local resettlement agencies. Approximately 8,000 were still in the process of completing their resettlement and remained in temporary housing on three military bases in the US.

The Taliban has pledged to let people with proper documents leave Afghanistan

In August 2021, the Taliban took over Afghanistan, causing tens of thousands of Afghans to flee the country. Many others who wanted to leave were unable to secure a visa or a flight or get access to the airport in time. The Taliban's takeover has made it difficult for Afghans to secure documents authorizing travel. Taliban checkpoints, closed consulates, and documents destroyed for information security reasons have all hampered Afghans' ability to use traditional visa pathways.

The Taliban's latest assurances are part of delicate negotiations as the new regime seeks to work with foreign governments. In a joint statement released by the UK government, along with the US and more than 90 other countries, it was confirmed that the Taliban had said anyone who wished to leave the country could do so. However, the Taliban's pledges have been met with scepticism.

In September 2021, hundreds of people, including American citizens, were blocked by the Taliban from boarding charter evacuation flights out of Afghanistan. Those with proper documentation were barred from accessing the airport, and there were reports that the Taliban was taking some of them away. Despite the Taliban's assurances, they have been searching for people who worked with the US or NATO and targeting journalists.

The US and other Western powers are pressing ahead with the evacuation of their nationals and some of their Afghan staff from Kabul airport. Since August 14, 2021, the US has helped evacuate tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan. The Pentagon is aiming to evacuate up to 22,000 Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants, their families, and other at-risk people.

As of May 2024, nearly 75,000 Afghans have been evacuated to the US, and the US government has facilitated the departure of 479 American citizens, 450 Lawful Permanent Residents, and 256 SIV holders with 1,003 of their immediate family members. Two flights a week have been departing Afghanistan through a collaborative agreement between Qatar and the Taliban, although flights were cancelled the previous week.

The US has suspended its diplomatic presence in Kabul, transferring operations to Doha, Qatar

On August 30, 2021, the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, announced that the US had suspended its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan and would be conducting its operations out of Qatar. This decision was made after the departure of the last US plane, leaving behind thousands of Afghans who had helped Western countries and qualified for evacuation. The US troop withdrawal was completed before the deadline of August 31, 2021, set by President Joe Biden, marking the end of America's longest war.

Blinken stated that the US would continue its diplomatic efforts and provide consular services from Doha, Qatar, with a team led by Ian McCary, the deputy chief of the US mission in Afghanistan. He emphasized that the US would remain committed to helping Americans, foreign nationals, and Afghans leave Afghanistan if they chose to do so. Blinken also acknowledged that there were still a small number of Americans, likely under 200, who remained in the country and wanted to depart.

The suspension of diplomatic operations in Kabul and the relocation to Doha, Qatar, was a result of the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. The Taliban had made rapid advances and took control of Kabul earlier in August 2021. The US Embassy in Kabul had already suspended operations and relocated its staff to the Hamid Karzai International Airport before the final evacuation flights.

The US continued its efforts to help Americans and Afghans leave Afghanistan, utilizing military planes and working with allies and partners to coordinate their engagement and messaging to the Taliban. However, the evacuation process was challenging, and the US faced criticism for its handling of the situation.

The US State Department provided resources and guidance for US citizens and Afghans seeking assistance with evacuation and immigration. This included enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates and stay connected with the embassy.

The US is working with allies to facilitate safe travel out of Afghanistan

The US is working closely with its allies to ensure the safe passage of individuals out of Afghanistan. This involves coordinating with allies and partners, including the G7 countries, NATO, and other international stakeholders, to ensure the protection and safe evacuation of US citizens, foreign nationals, and Afghans.

The US has also urged the Taliban to uphold their pledge to allow people with proper documents to leave Afghanistan safely and has worked with other countries to hold the Taliban accountable for this commitment. As part of this effort, the US has transferred its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan to Doha, Qatar, to manage diplomacy and coordinate with allies and partners.

In addition, the US has taken steps to ensure the security of Kabul's international airport, increasing its security presence to nearly 6,000 troops to secure the airport and take over air traffic control. This has allowed for the evacuation of thousands of people, including US citizens, locally employed staff of the US mission in Kabul and their families, and Afghans eligible for US special immigrant visas.

The US has also facilitated the departure of American citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), and their families, as well as Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders and their families, through a collaborative agreement with Qatar and the Taliban. This agreement has allowed for two flights to depart Afghanistan each week, although flights were temporarily suspended and are expected to resume soon.

Furthermore, the US has established the Afghanistan Affairs Unit (AAU) in Doha, Qatar, as its diplomatic mission to Afghanistan, managing diplomacy, consular affairs, and humanitarian assistance efforts. The AAU works closely with allies, partners, and regional and international stakeholders to coordinate engagement and messaging to the Taliban.

The US has also led international efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, providing $775 million in aid as of July 2022, focusing on basic human needs such as food security, agriculture, health, and education, as well as improving human rights, particularly for women, girls, and minority communities.

The US has urged the Taliban to uphold its commitments on counterterrorism

The Taliban provided a safe haven for al-Qaida in the years leading up to the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, which gave al-Qaida a base to recruit, train, and deploy terrorists to other countries. This history, along with the Taliban's ideological ties to extremist groups, raises doubts about their ability to uphold counterterrorism commitments.

Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the US and other Western powers evacuated their nationals and some Afghan staff from Kabul airport. The evacuation efforts were challenging due to Taliban roadblocks and the presence of thousands of desperate people trying to flee the country. Despite these obstacles, the US was able to evacuate more than 124,000 people, including about 6,000 American citizens and Afghans at risk of Taliban reprisals.

The US has emphasized that any normalization of relations with the Taliban hinges on their fulfillment of counterterrorism commitments, respect for human rights, and the establishment of an inclusive political system. However, the Taliban has shown resistance to international expectations, particularly in regards to human rights and inclusive governance.

The killing of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul in July 2022 by a US drone strike revealed that the Taliban had not upheld their pledge to cut ties with transnational terrorist groups. This incident underscored the need for continued vigilance and engagement with the Taliban on counterterrorism issues.

While the US has limited leverage over the Taliban, it retains some sources of influence, such as diplomatic recognition, sanctions relief, and development aid. However, these levers are politically and logistically challenging to employ, and aid is unlikely to induce changes in Taliban behavior.

The US government has expressed its commitment to ensuring that US sanctions do not hinder the ability of Afghan civilians to receive humanitarian support while also denying assets to sanctioned entities and individuals associated with the Taliban. Additionally, the US Treasury has issued general licenses to support the flow of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

The US continues to work with international partners and the Taliban to address the deteriorating humanitarian and economic crises in the country, as well as to secure the safe passage and evacuation of remaining US citizens and at-risk Afghans.

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