New York, NY-As nearly two decades of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan come to a close, the New York Immigration Coalition calls on the Biden Administration to expedite refugee resettlement efforts focused on humanitarian needs. Recently, the U.S. government sped up the visa process for those Afghan nationals who worked for the Americans. Still, advocates declared the initiative insufficient to meet the needs of the many Afghans who have worked as expediters, translators, and in supportive services to the American military and other related organizations, who fear for their safety under a Taliban regime.
Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition:
“As President Biden ends an occupation of Afghanistan that has spanned a generation, he cannot forget our country’s obligation to the Afghan people. The New York Immigration Coalition believes now is the moment to expand the generosity of our refugee program not only for Afghans but also for the Haitian and Central Americans who are fleeing countries beset by upheaval, national disaster, and violence. We have a chance to show the world America is truly turning the page on four years of small-minded cruelty and building humanitarian solutions that recognize our outsized impact on the world.”
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