Taliban says Afghans stuck in Qatar who helped US in war can safely return home

Afghanistan's foreign ministry, under Taliban control, issued a statement on Saturday via spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi, claiming that Afghans who assisted the US during the two-decade war and are currently stranded at Camp As-Sayliyah, a US base in Qatar, can safely return to their homeland. This overture follows reports that the Trump administration is in discussions to potentially resettle 1,100 of these individuals—including Afghan allies and relatives of US service members—in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The organization #AfghanEvac, which supports Afghan resettlement, revealed on Wednesday that US officials had informed them of these talks, which propose voluntary relocation to the DRC as an alternative to indefinite limbo in Qatar.

The State Department confirmed it is exploring options to voluntarily resettle the refugees in a third country but did not name specific nations. Meanwhile, #AfghanEvac stated that another option presented to the refugees is to return to Afghanistan, where many fear reprisals or death from the Taliban for their wartime collaboration with US forces. The refugees have been in legal and logistical limbo for over a year at the Qatari base, awaiting final resolution of their cases. This development highlights the ongoing challenges of post-war resettlement and the complex geopolitical dynamics between the Taliban, the US, and third-party nations like the DRC.