US senator says sending Afghan allies to Congo is “cruel and shameful”

US Senator Andy Kim says Afghan allies risked their lives for US forces, warning plans to relocate them to Congo would be unjust.

Andy Kim said Afghan allies who supported US forces put their lives at risk and should not face forced relocation to unsafe destinations.

Writing on social media, Kim said he had witnessed firsthand during his time at the US State Department how Afghan partners assisted American missions under difficult and dangerous conditions.

He described proposals to send them to countries where they have no ties or guaranteed protection as “cruel and shameful,” urging Washington to uphold its commitments.

The remarks follow a report that the US is considering relocating more than 1,100 Afghan refugees from a camp in Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan as an alternative.

Following the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States evacuated over 190,000 Afghans, including interpreters, contractors and their families who worked alongside US forces.

Many were resettled in the US or third countries, but a number remain in temporary facilities abroad awaiting permanent solutions amid delays in processing and resettlement pathways.

Rights groups warn that returning these people to Afghanistan could expose them to retaliation, persecution or severe hardship under current conditions.

They also caution that relocation to unfamiliar countries with limited support systems could create new humanitarian risks, particularly for vulnerable families and former US partners.

The uncertainty surrounding the remaining Afghan refugees in Qatar highlights ongoing challenges in resolving one of the most complex humanitarian legacies of the US withdrawal.

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