Overview
- The State Department said Wednesday it is pursuing “voluntary” third‑country resettlement for the Camp As Sayliyah population, as multiple outlets report talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo to take roughly 1,100 people.
- Those at the Qatar base include interpreters, former Afghan special forces and relatives of U.S. service members, with more than 400 children, and many had cleared U.S. vetting before processing was halted after a 2025 shooting in Washington.
- AfghanEvac says the Congo option is meant to “manufacture a refusal” so officials can claim the Afghans chose not to resettle, while the State Department describes third‑country moves as a positive solution and says no one will be forced back.
- Humanitarian groups and U.N. figures note Congo is in deep crisis, with about 6.9 million people displaced and ongoing conflict in the east, which raises concerns about safety, stability and legal protections for new arrivals.
- Reuters reported the U.S. previously explored moving the group to Botswana, a plan that collapsed after Washington required Botswana’s travelers to post a $15,000 visa bond, showing how broader policy shifts have narrowed options.