US Senators push for 1000 additional special visas for Afghans

United States will conclude its armed operation in Afghanistan by the of 2016 endangering the lives of many Afghans who served as interpreters and guides with US forces.  In a bid to provide safe havens to Afghans for helping the US forces, Special Immigrant Visa program (SIV)was introduced that allow 3000 visas each year. The program is expiring in September this year is near its cap while still many Afghans have not even applied yet.

United States Senators  Jeanne Shaheen  and John McCain have joined their hands to lodge a legislation that would allot 1,000 additional visas under the Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghan nationals which is expiring in September. If approved, the number of visas for Afghan nationals under SIV program will increase from 3000 to 4000.

The proposed bill would  ask to extend the Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghans to another fiscal year. It also asks to expand the program to include those Afghan nationals who worked with the International Security Assistance Force, media outlets and non-profit organizations to become eligible for the special visas.

Democrat Senator Shaheen said in a press statement, “The brave civilians who risked their lives and that of their families to help our country during a time of war deserve to have their commitment honored and find safe haven,”

“We must make good on American promises to our Afghan allies who are now living in fear of retribution because they believed in our mission enough to risk their lives for it,” Senator Shaheen added.

Democrat Senator urged the Congress in the statement to pass the bill and said, “They cannot wait; it is essential Congress pass this bipartisan bill so we can come one step closer to keeping that promise for all who served.”

Republican Senator McCain stressed that the assistance of the Afghans was “critical resource to our troops throughout the past decade and it would be unconscionable to abandon these brave individuals who are now in danger for their service to the United States’ mission in Afghanistan.”

Many Afghans who have worked with the US armed forces have received threats on their lives for assisting the foreign forces. They fear that militants would kill them after the US forces leave Afghanistan if they are not provided the option to come and live in the United States.

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Posted by Nadeem Bajwa on Jul 22 2014. Filed under Latest News, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.