The Priority-1 and Priority-2 programs within the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program were designed to confer refugee status on Afghans who worked with the U.S. government, media, or nongovernmental organizations.
Afghans trying to navigate the programs have experienced serious difficulties. This problem was underscored by my conversations with four Afghans pursuing referrals, whose names have been changed to protect their identities.
Sohrab worked four years with the National Directorate of Security, the former Afghan government’s intelligence service. Like many former Afghan government and military personnel with exploitable knowledge, and like each Afghan I spoke with for this story, he cannot obtain a Priority-1 referral because he is not known to U.S. government officials. Prior to his government career, however, Sohrab held a six-month paid fellowship with the international development company DAI. An evacuation organization working with Sohrab twice requested DAI refer him to the Priority-2 program. DAI denied both requests.
When asked why Sohrab did not qualify for a referral, a DAI spokesperson explained, “Anyone hired as an intern, fellow, or subcontractor … does not meet the requirement of full-time, direct employment and is therefore not eligible for a P-2 referral.” The spokesperson alleged these are “government requirements.” When asked to confirm these requirements, a spokesperson from the State Department referred me to the program’s guidelines, which do not specifically address full-time employment, internships, or fellowships. In any case, when the Taliban arrested Sohrab in January, they did not bother to inquire about the specific status of his work with the United States.
Mohibullah was the vice president of a construction company that had a contract to deliver cartridges to a U.S. Agency for International Development subcontractor. His subcontractor refused to issue him a referral to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. I reached out to USAID to ask whether they would be able to issue such a referral to Mohibullah. USAID reiterated that only “full-time, direct employees on a USAID prime award implemented in Afghanistan” are eligible for Priority-2 referrals to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Whether he was on a USAID prime award or not, the Taliban have called on Mohibullah to explain his involvement with the U.S. government.
Afghan National Police member Ali is living in hiding for fear of the Taliban. In my attempts to help him acquire a letter of recommendation for a special immigrant visa, I noticed an exemplar recommendation letter from his employment with the nonprofit organization International Rescue Committee. Wondering why International Rescue Committee had issued a letter of recommendation rather than a Priority-2 referral, I contacted the organization, where a spokesperson confirmed the group could issue referrals to its employees. Ali had made a common error, asking for a letter of recommendation because he conflated the requirements of the SIV program with those of the Priority-2 program. He has now requested a Priority-2 referral. After more than a week, he has received no response.
Shakila, a member of Afghanistan’s persecuted Hazara minority, promoted democratic elections as a member of the Afghan Independent Electoral Complaints Commission. The Taliban, who have historically targeted democratic elections with violence, dissolved the commission in December 2021 and arrested its deputy head several weeks later. An associate from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems told me it cannot provide Independent Electoral Complaints Commission members with Priority-2 referrals to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program because they were not employees of a U.S. nongovernmental organization.
At least in 2013, USAID funded the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission through the United Nations Office for Project Services and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Like other Afghans, Shakila must manage the danger caused by her employment on her own because the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program guidelines do not recognize the tangled financial interplay between the Afghan government and U.S. and international institutions.
The top line: the Priority-1 and Priority-2 programs fail to protect vulnerable Afghans. Additionally, there is excessive danger and financial hardship imposed by the State Department’s refusal to evacuate candidates who are referred to the program, whose processing can take more than 12 to 18 months and must take place in a third country. Ambassador Kelley Currie has called for the abandonment of both programs, telling me they “are just the wrong system.”
The Taliban’s killings of former government personnel and increased searches throughout the country demonstrate their intentions toward Afghans who supported Western groups, regardless of whether they were fellows, interns, subcontractors, or employees of Afghan institutions. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program should reflect the dangers posed by the Taliban rather than tie support to direct involvement with U.S. government entities and nonprofit organizations.
Beth Bailey (@BWBailey85) is a freelance writer from the Detroit area and a volunteer with Operation 620.
