U.S. begins paying Afghan refugees in Qatar to return home, veterans and advocates call move a betrayal

The U.S. State Department has started paying Afghans stranded in Qatar to return home, prompting warnings from veterans and advocates about betrayal.

According to Reuters, more than 1,100 Afghans have been stranded at Camp As Sayliyah, a former U.S. Army base in Qatar, since early 2025 after resettlement programs halted under the Trump administration.

The group includes civilian refugees, women who served as U.S. special operations personnel, and family members of U.S. servicemembers, many of whom face security risks if returned.

Assistant Secretary of State S. Paul Kapur told lawmakers that roughly 150 Afghans have accepted payments, which reportedly include $4,500 for main applicants and $1,200 per additional family member, though third-country relocation options remain uncertain.

Veterans and advocacy groups, including AfghanEvac, have condemned the program, warning that the so-called voluntary repatriation amounts to a betrayal of Afghan allies who assisted U.S. forces.

Democrats in Congress have criticized the initiative, calling the payments a coercive measure and highlighting risks to those returning to Taliban-controlled areas.

Camp As Sayliyah has long served as a temporary processing facility for Afghan evacuees pending U.S. resettlement, particularly for those who aided U.S. military operations during the 20-year Afghanistan war.

Prolonged delays and uncertainty have left refugees in limbo, exposing shortcomings in U.S. migration policy and raising international concerns over humanitarian and human rights obligations.

Observers warn that closing the camp and offering financial incentives without secure relocation plans undermines trust in U.S. commitments and risks endangering vulnerable Afghan refugees.

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