The Quiet Exodus: American Evacuees From Afghanistan

The evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021 was one of the biggest airlifts in history, with the U.S. evacuating 124,000 people from Kabul over six weeks as the American-backed Afghan government fell to the Taliban. Of those evacuated, about 6,000 were U.S. citizens, with the rest being U.S. residents, Afghans with special immigrant visas, and their families. The U.S. government has continued to evacuate Americans and Afghans since then, with the State Department evacuating 435 American citizens and 325 permanent residents since August 30, 2021.

The US evacuated 6,000 citizens from Afghanistan

Blinken's figure included only those Americans wanting to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the capital on August 14. The number of US citizens evacuated from Afghanistan is likely to be higher, as this figure does not include those who left the country before the Taliban's advance or those who left via privately funded organisations.

The evacuation of citizens from Afghanistan took place against a backdrop of chaos and violence. US troops were sent to Kabul's international airport to protect Americans and others trying to flee the country. Despite these efforts, some Americans reported being unable to access evacuation flights, and thousands of at-risk Afghans were left struggling to get into the airport.

The US government has continued its efforts to evacuate citizens from Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. As of February 2022, the US had evacuated 479 Americans from the country since US troops officially left in August 2021. This ongoing operation highlights the US government's commitment to rescuing its citizens from dangerous situations, even in the face of significant challenges and complexities.

124,000 people were airlifted from Kabul

The U.S. government evacuated 124,000 people from Kabul, Afghanistan, over about six weeks as the American-backed Afghan government fell to the Taliban. This was one of the biggest airlifts in history, with the U.S. Air Force evacuating over 124,000 Afghans and Americans from a country once again under Taliban rule. The evacuation was completed on August 30, 2021, one day before a deadline agreed upon with the Taliban.

The evacuation was a chaotic and deadly operation, with people desperate to leave the country surrounding the airport. The U.S. military carried out the evacuation using military cargo jets, prioritizing American citizens, U.S. permanent residents, special visa holders, and their families. The evacuation also included people considered particularly vulnerable to Taliban retribution or their harsh rule, such as journalists and human rights advocates.

The 124,000 people evacuated included about 6,000 American citizens. Some Afghans were temporarily moved to at least eight countries before potentially resettling in the U.S. as refugees. The U.S. has admitted 73,000 Afghans from this initial phase, who will be resettled in communities across the country with the assistance of private organizations. About 40,000 evacuees were housed at seven military bases in the U.S. as they completed immigration and medical processing.

The evacuation was not without its challenges. The collapse of the Afghan government happened more quickly than anticipated, leading to a rushed and chaotic evacuation. There was also violence during the evacuation, with an Islamic State-Khorasan suicide bomber detonating explosives at the Kabul airport, killing more than 180 people, including 13 U.S. military personnel.

Overall, the evacuation of 124,000 people from Kabul was a massive and complex operation that involved coordination between multiple government agencies and military forces. It was carried out to ensure the safety of American citizens and vulnerable Afghans and to provide them with a chance to start a new life away from the Taliban rule.

The US admitted 73,000 Afghans

The US has admitted 73,000 Afghans as part of the initial phase of the evacuation. These Afghans will eventually move to communities around the United States with assistance from private organizations.

The US government has been working to resettle Afghans in the country, and about 38,000 Afghans have been relocated from military bases to their new communities. As of February 15, 2022, only 1,200 Afghan evacuees remained at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.

The US has closed its embassy in Kabul and does not recognize the new Taliban government in Afghanistan. However, immigration programs for Afghans who worked with the US over the last two decades will continue. The US has also announced a Priority-2 refugee admission program for Afghans.

To apply for immigration to the US, Afghans must travel to a third country where there is a US diplomatic mission. The US has welcomed more than 74,000 Afghans through Operation Allies Welcome and is prepared to facilitate the resettlement of additional qualifying Afghans.

3,500 permanent US residents were evacuated

The evacuation of American citizens and others from Afghanistan was a massive and costly operation. The US government launched one of the biggest airlifts in history to evacuate at-risk citizens from Kabul. The operation was chaotic at times, with scenes of desperate people hanging onto US military planes while they took off from Kabul airport.

The evacuation flow of Americans kept pace, and the US airlifted about 124,000 people from Kabul over about six weeks as the American-backed Afghan government fell to the Taliban. Of these, about 6,000 were American citizens. Since then, several thousand more people have been evacuated, mostly on flights arranged by the State Department or private groups and individuals.

The evacuation prioritized American citizens, US permanent residents, special visa holders, and their families. The flights also carried people considered particularly vulnerable under Taliban rule, including journalists and human rights advocates.

The State Department has continued evacuating Americans and Afghans through chartered and commercial flights. Many of those evacuated from Kabul were taken to US military facilities in Qatar, where they were screened before being permanently resettled in the US and other countries.

US officials believed that thousands of Americans remained in Afghanistan, including some far beyond Kabul, without a safe or fast way to get to the airport. The Biden administration maintained that about 100 to 200 Americans remained in Afghanistan who intended to leave. However, the exact number of Americans still in Afghanistan who wanted to leave was unknown.

The State Department has continued its efforts to evacuate American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and those who assisted the US military effort in Afghanistan. As of February 2022, the US had evacuated 479 Americans from Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, and at least 600 legal permanent residents. More than 3,500 of those evacuated last year were US permanent residents.

13 countries agreed to host at-risk Afghans

The US-backed Afghan government fell to the Taliban in August 2021, prompting the US to evacuate its citizens and diplomats from the country. The evacuation was chaotic, with scenes of desperate Afghans hanging onto US military planes as they took off from Kabul airport.

The US government launched "one of the biggest airlifts in history" to evacuate at-risk Afghans from Kabul. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that 13 countries had agreed to host at-risk Afghans evacuated from Afghanistan. These countries included Albania, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Mexico, Poland, Qatar, Rwanda, Ukraine, and Uganda. Blinken also stated that the US would continue evacuating Afghans through chartered and commercial flights.

The US has welcomed over 74,000 Afghans through Operation Allies Welcome. Most of the Afghans who came to the US after the evacuation arrived through humanitarian parole, overseen by the Department of Homeland Security. This process is faster than the one used by the US Refugee Admissions Program, which works with UN-qualified refugees.

The evacuation of American citizens and others from Afghanistan has slowed to a trickle since the departure of the last US troops on August 31, 2021. However, several thousand people have managed to get out, mainly on flights arranged by the State Department or private groups.

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