The US government has decided to shut down the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) by April this year. If implemented, this decision will prevent 200,000 Afghans from reaching the United States.

This decision affects the families of Afghan-American military personnel and thousands of other Afghans who worked for the US government over the past two decades.

Reuters citing Shawn VanDiver, founder of AfghanEvac reported: “A permanent shutdown of CARE and the Enduring Welcome operations it oversees could leave up to an estimated 200,000 Afghans without paths to the US, said VanDiver and the US official. These comprise some 110,000 Afghans in Afghanistan whose SIV and refugee status applications are being reviewed and some 40,000 others who have been vetted and cleared for flights to Doha and Tirana before travel to the US. An estimated 50,000 other Afghans are marooned in nearly 90 other countries – about half in Pakistan – approved for US resettlement or awaiting SIV or refugee processing, they said.”

"Since yesterday, there has been a new concern about the possible cancellation of the resettlement office working for Afghan refugees in the US. This decision has caused us great worry," an Afghan with a US immigration case told TOLOnews.

The Afghan Relocation Office in the US, established after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, has so far assisted in the relocation of 118,000 individuals. Currently, thousands of Afghans are awaiting transfer to the US in processing centers in Qatar and Albania.

Meanwhile, some opposition politicians in Germany have called for dialogue with the Islamic Emirate to facilitate the deportation of Afghan refugees. Some German media outlets, citing a spokesperson for the German Foreign Office, have reported that negotiations with the interim Afghan government on this matter are ongoing.

The Islamic Emirate has not commented on this issue yet.

"The request of German politicians for the mass deportation of migrants to Afghanistan is concerning and unfair. Not all migrants are criminals, and they should not become victims of political and electoral rivalries. Security and human dignity should not be sacrificed for domestic policies. Germany must remain committed to human rights principles," said Alireza Karimi, an Afghan migrant in Germany.

The closure of the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) means shutting down the relocation pathway for 200,000 Afghans who have been approved for visas or refugee status. This decision could have significant negative impact on US relations with Afghan allies and its credibility in supporting human rights.