One year after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, approximately 1,600 Afghan religious minorities (mainly Christian and a few Hazara Muslims) languish in a resettlement center in the United Arab Emirates known as Humanitarian City. U.S. government staff on site have shown no interest in processing people seeking admission to the U.S. based on their religious beliefs, even though they are certain targets for persecution or death at the hands of the Taliban.
The U.S. government is now quickly processing Afghans in other priority categories (worked for U.S. government or U.S.-funded NGOs), but it has failed to act on our repeated public and private pleas that Afghan religious minorities receive priority (P2) status or humanitarian parole to the U.S. Another 500 Afghan religious minorities live in fear inside Afghanistan, with 200 Christians subject to special Taliban edicts that they be sought and punished. Many have been killed when found by the Taliban.
The rumored closure of UAE Humanitarian City by the end of August leaves religious minorities terrified about what will happen next.
Religious minority refugees in Humanitarian City were evacuated with tens of millions of dollars in private funds raised by NGOs such as the Nazarene Fund. U.S. donors were concerned by reports of Taliban atrocities, and they expected the U.S. would help these refugees find safe havens. All were vetted prior to being allowed to leave Afghanistan by both the NGOs and the U.S. government. Thus, their eligibility for U.S. refugee status due to their religious faith is presumptively established. They will be further vetted if allowed to travel to the U.S. before getting permanent refugee status. Many U.S. religious organizations and people stand ready to support them if they reach our shores. Efforts to secure admission to other countries for these refugees have generally been futile. The U.S. is their only hope.
Christianity has been illegal in Afghanistan for decades. Nonetheless, the faith grew in hidden, underground churches during the years of American presence. The good work of the U.S. on rule of law, humanitarian projects, and security gave people the courage to take the risky step of putting their faith in Christ. They are fervent believers. Some even bravely put their faith on their government documents. The Taliban takeover has led them and other religious minorities to realize that there is no place for them in Afghanistan at the moment. The U.S. has a moral obligation to help them.
Our simple plea is that President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other U.S. government officials take administrative steps permitted under existing law to give religious minorities in the UAE’s Humanitarian City priority status for U.S. immigration status. There are U.S. Custom and Border Protection agents in the UAE with legal authority to give these believers “port parole.” This would enable them to travel to the U.S. and file for asylum in safety.
Let’s bring these presumptive friends of the U.S. here where they can live lives of passionate commitment to their faith and our country with the support of the same U.S. citizens and organizations that helped them escape Taliban terror in Afghanistan.
Sam Brownback is the former U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom and chairman of the National Committee for Religious Freedom. Lauren Homer is president of Law and Liberty Trust.
