AfghanEvac: ~150 US military family members stranded at Qatar camp facing closure

Published Aug 20, 02:53 PM UTC

An aid organization, AfghanEvac, reports that approximately 150 family members of U.S. troops and veterans are stranded at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, which the U.S. plans to close on September 30. The families, including the brother of former Marine Gunnery Sergeant Sean Jamshidi, have been waiting for nearly two years for visas to the United States. Many have completed required interviews and received Chief of Mission approval but lack final paperwork. The situation is linked to a broader halt in visa distribution to Afghans that began late last year. AfghanEvac says about 3,000 U.S. military family members are affected overall. A coalition of refugee groups is urging Congress to pass the Afghanistan TPS Act to restart visa processing. Rep. Don Bacon and Rep. Julie Johnson support a discharge petition to force a vote. Camp residents also face mental health crises from nearby Iranian conflict missile activity. A White House proposal to relocate refugees to the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been criticized as unsafe.