Trump Officials Consider Sending 1,100 Afghans Who Aided US to DR Congo

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: The Guardian

22 Apr 2026 08:20

The Trump administration is reportedly discussing plans to send up to 1,100 Afghans who assisted US military operations during the Afghanistan war to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Trump administration is discussing plans to send up to 1,100 Afghans who assisted the US during its occupation of Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country already suffering from one of the world's largest displacement crises, according to a report by Victoria Bekiempis for The Guardian.

The resettlement discussions, first reported by the New York Times, come after President Donald Trump halted an initiative that would have allowed Afghans who supported US war efforts to apply for resettlement in the United States, a non-profit confirmed on Tuesday.

The group of more than 1,000 Afghans has been stranded in Qatar for an entire year. According to the Times, the group includes interpreters, relatives of US military personnel, and more than 400 children. The United States evacuated these Afghans to Qatar for their protection because they had supported the US during its occupation of Afghanistan, which is now once again under Taliban control following American military withdrawal.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently reeling from decades of conflict and instability, according to the report. The UN Refugee Agency estimates that 8.2 million people were displaced in Congo as of September 2025, with that number expected to reach 9 million by the end of the year.

Shawn VanDiver, president of the non-profit AfghanEvac, told The Guardian that he had learned of these discussions from people at and around the US State Department.

Advocate says Afghans should be brought to US

VanDiver stated that 900 of the 1,100 Afghans in Qatar are eligible for resettlement in the United States. For the remaining 200 who are not eligible, he suggested that Washington could explore options with countries other than Congo, which is struggling with widespread violence.

"The others should just come here," VanDiver told The Guardian. "This is an easy solve: 'Hey, welcome to America.'"

VanDiver said that between 100 and 150 of these Afghans are family members of active duty service members, while more than 700 are women and children.

"It's insane – this could all be fixed just by a policy change," VanDiver said, noting that the Department of Homeland Security could allow entry to Afghans who have already qualified for the program. "They can come here – there's no law that is preventing them."

VanDiver also warned that returning to Afghanistan would likely result in death for these individuals, given their collaboration with US forces.

State Department calls third-country resettlement 'positive resolution'

A State Department spokesperson told The Guardian that officials are continuing to identify options for voluntary resettlement of the Afghans currently living at Camp As-Sayliyah in Qatar. The spokesperson claimed that moving this group "to a third country is a positive resolution" for their safety and that of Americans.

The spokesperson added that "the Afghan nationals at CAS do not currently have a viable pathway to the United States."

The State Department says it remains in routine, direct communication with camp residents regarding resettlement initiatives, but would not disclose details surrounding the negotiations due to sensitivity.

It remains possible that the Congo talks will not materialize into actual resettlement, leaving this group of Afghans in further limbo, the report notes.

The Trump administration's willingness to abandon Afghan allies to a country already collapsing under its own humanitarian crisis reveals a fundamental truth about US foreign policy: those who serve the empire, whether interpreters, soldiers, or local collaborators, are ultimately disposable.