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How were Afghans vetted during the Biden administration?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Saturday that the Trump administration has suspended visas for all individuals traveling with Afghan passports, arguing that “Washington has no higher priority than protecting Americans.” The decision comes after a violent incident in Washington, where an Afghan national attacked National Guard members, one of whom was killed.
" The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY suspended the issuance of visas to individuals traveling with Afghan passports. All necessary steps are being taken to protect national security and the public ," the department wrote.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed the decision for X, saying: " Effective immediately, processing of all immigration applications involving Afghan nationals is suspended indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols ."
But this decision also directly affects Albania. As of January this year, fewer than 700 Afghans remained in Albania, mostly as part of resettlement programs following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Updated data has not yet been made public by Albanian institutions, leaving the fate of these people under the current visa suspension unclear.
After the US left Afghanistan, all the individuals who cooperated with them left, some to the US and some to partner countries, until visas were issued. Thousands of people came to Albania, but about 700 were blocked and will likely remain here forever. The first blockade was made at the beginning of the year, when Trump blocked foreign aid. But after this development today, it seems that the chances of leaving are zero.
The impact of the incident in Washington
The violent incident in Washington has prompted immediate changes in immigration policies by the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the attacker, an Afghan national, had come to the US through a resettlement program launched by the Biden administration in 2021, called “Operation Allies Welcome” (OAW).
The program was intended to resettle vulnerable Afghans after the fall of Kabul, but Republicans have charged, without providing evidence, that some individuals were not properly vetted. As a result, DHS has temporarily suspended processing of all immigration applications for Afghan nationals while it reviews security and vetting protocols.
How were Afghans vetted under the Biden administration?
The attacker, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the United States on September 8, 2021, shortly after the fall of Kabul. He had an active application for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) but was granted asylum by the Trump administration. According to information released by the US government, the SIV program involved a multi-stage verification process, including the collection of fingerprints and photographs, and cooperation from various agencies such as the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center.
However, some Republican officials and FBI leaders have stated that in practice this vetting was not sufficient, allowing unverified individuals to enter the country. / Pamphlet
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