The Uncertain Future of Afghan Refugees in the United States

In the past two years, thousands of Afghans who sought asylum in the United States face an uncertain prospect of attaining permanent residency.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has reported a significant surge in the number of Afghan asylum seekers, totaling 19,000 applicants within the last two years.

Prior to this, the number of Afghan asylum applications in the United States only reached tens or hundreds.

Between 2013 and 2021, the United States had granted asylum to fewer than a thousand Afghans.

This notable increase in Afghan refugees can be directly attributed to the evacuation of American Afghan partners from Kabul airport in August 2021.