A small percentage of Afghan refugees who came to the United States since the collapse of the government remains on a U.S. military base awaiting resettlement.
Only 1,200 Afghans are still living on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS announced on Tuesday that all of the evacuees at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin have departed and it will be shutting down operations there.
More than 74,000 evacuees stayed at one of eight military bases that provided interim housing starting in August. Afghans fled Afghanistan in mid-August following a Taliban military offensive that resulted in their ascension to power and the ousting of the U.S.-backed Ghani government.
“I would like to thank the federal staff, service members, volunteers, and members of the local community whose dedication was critical to the success of our mission at Fort McCoy,” said Robert J. Fenton Jr., the senior response official for Operation Allies Welcome. “With the help of our partners across government and nonprofit organizations, the 12,600 Afghan evacuees who were temporarily housed at Fort McCoy have now joined their new communities, and we have completed operations at seven of the eight safe-haven locations.”
DEFENSE WATCHDOG WARNED AFGHAN AIR FORCE WOULD COLLAPSE WITHOUT US ASSISTANCE IN JANUARY 2021
After departing the country, Afghans were brought to various nearby military bases for biometric and biographical vetting tests. Those who required additional vetting were sent to Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, and fewer than 10 of the evacuees were deemed ineligible to come to the U.S., according to the Wall Street Journal.
“Task Force McCoy is the seventh of eight task forces to conclude its temporary support of Operation Allies Welcome,” said Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of U.S. Northern Command. “I am incredibly proud of the important work our service members along with their interagency partners at Task Force McCoy have done over the last five months, enabling the resettlement of more than 12,600 Afghan personnel into their new communities across the country.”
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Last week, the Biden administration announced it is releasing $7 billion in frozen Afghan funds, clearing a path for the families of the 9/11 terror attacks to pursue half, with the remaining half distributed for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan amid a food crisis.
