2500 Afghan Local US Military Interpreters and Families Arrive in the US... "Visa Applicants Exceed 20,000"

First Entry to the US Amid Taliban Retaliation Threats
More Than Half of Applicants Still Unable to Complete Initial Procedures

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] It has been reported that approximately 2,500 local interpreters who cooperated with the US troops stationed in Afghanistan and their families have arrived in the United States. This is interpreted as part of an operation to evacuate Afghans who cooperated with the US military following the withdrawal of US forces. More than 20,000 people in Afghanistan have applied for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), but it is known that more than half of the applicants have not completed the initial procedures.

According to foreign media such as the BBC on the 29th (local time), about 2,500 Afghan interpreters and their families who cooperated with the US military are expected to arrive in the United States on this day. They are the first group to arrive in the US as part of the so-called 'collaborator evacuation operation' initiated by the US military. After arrival, they will be housed at Fort Lee Army Base in Virginia while completing the SIV issuance procedures, including background checks and medical examinations.

The SIV is a visa granted to local interpreters and personnel who cooperated with the US military during the Afghanistan war. It is known that more than 20,000 people have applied for the SIV within Afghanistan so far. Since the start of the Afghanistan war in 2001, the number of people who have entered the US with an SIV has reached 70,000. However, due to the sudden decision of the US military to withdraw, the backlog of applicants has grown, and more than half of the applicants have yet to complete even the initial procedures.

Afghan collaborators with the US military are reportedly concerned about retaliation as the armed group Taliban is increasingly likely to overthrow the Afghan government. According to the charity organization 'Nowon Left Behind (NOLB),' which supports Afghan and Iraqi interpreters who have settled in the US through the SIV, it is estimated that at least 300 collaborators and their families have been killed by the Taliban and its followers so far.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the US Congress passed a bill that includes measures to protect Afghans who cooperated with the US military during the Afghanistan war. The bill's main provisions include increasing the SIV issuance limit by 8,000 and allocating $500 million in budget for services necessary for emergency transportation and housing for US resettlement. However, concerns are also emerging that it will become more difficult for these individuals to escape Afghanistan as the Afghan political situation is expected to become very unstable after the complete withdrawal of US troops by the end of next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.