Approximately 1,100 Afghans and their families are stranded at Camp As Sayliyah in Doha, Qatar, according to multiple reports. The Trump administration has effectively cut off paths to the United States for these Afghans, who supported American war efforts. The Afghans now face a limited set of options: return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule or resettle in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The United States resettled more than 190,000 Afghans who supported American war efforts between August 2021 and mid-2025, according to multiple reports. The Biden administration had promised the Afghans a path to settlement in the U.S. following additional background checks. However, Trump's suspension of refugee admissions stranded thousands of already-vetted refugees, leaving many in limbo.
Afghanistan's foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that Afghans who helped America's war effort can safely return to Afghanistan. However, Afghan allies and advocates warn that returning to Afghanistan would mean certain death or reprisals from the Taliban.
Afghanistan constitutes the shared homeland of all Afghans and it invites all those concerned, as well as others sharing a similar situation, (to) return to their homeland, whose doors remain open to them, to do so with full confidence & peace of mind.
The Trump administration is in discussions to potentially send the 1,100 Afghans to the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to #AfghanEvac. A State Department spokesperson said the department is working to identify options to voluntarily resettle the refugees in a third country. The State Department currently advises Americans against traveling to the DRC, citing threats of terrorism, civil unrest, armed conflict and kidnapping, according to multiple reports.
The Afghans in the camp said they do not want to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to #AfghanEvac. They also said they had received no information from U.S. officials about the talks and found out from the press, according to #AfghanEvac. Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, said in a wire report that the DRC plan is a way for the State Department to wash their hands of these folks.
The Afghans in the camp are experiencing deep depression and mental health struggles due to the uncertainty, according to #AfghanEvac.
Criticism of the U.S. handling has been mounting. VanDiver said the DRC plan is a way for the State Department to wash their hands of these folks, according to a wire report. Many unknowns remain about the process, including the exact status of discussions between the U.S. and the DRC, how many of the 1,100 Afghans are children, and what legal status they would have if resettled in the DRC. The timeline for any decision or action is also unclear.