How will the new bill change the future for Afghanistan living in the US, and what are the key points to note?
The Afghanistan Adjustment Act is recommended by some bipartisan lawmakers, which aims to safeguard the refugee’s path to permanent status in the United States. The effort comes after the unsettled conditions in Afghanistan since the Taliban occupation was declared openly. This left millions of Afghans fleeing the country, fearing the Taliban’s harsh power.
After the United States departed from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s brutal takeover of the region, more than 6 million Afghans have been displaced according to the UN report. The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has been worsening ever since, due to the rising levels of unrest, poverty and increasing internal conflicts forcing millions of people to escape the country and survive as refugees.
As of 2021, more than 3.5 million were intently displaced, while 2.7 million were forced to leave the country. Most of them struggled on the borders of their neighbouring countries, making this huge displacement one of the worst humanitarian crises.
Responding to the crisis, the United States recognized 76,000 Afghans, largely those who had assisted during the United States’ undertaking in Afghanistan. These Afghans were extricated under Operation Allies Welcome, and were taken to the U.S Military centres and then stationed in neighbourhoods across the country. Rather than lending them a Special Immigration Visa (SIV), quoting the lengthy process and the emergency of the situation, these evacuees were processed under humanitarian parole.
Humanitarian parole lends benefits that are restricted and provisional in comparison to the SIV, not paving a precise route to procuring permanent status. This leaves the Afghan evacuees sceptical about their future in the country. The AAA was proposed aiming to provide evacuated Afghans with a dignified status along with a chance to obtain permanent residency in the United States. To address this issue and provide a certain amount of clarity, the Afghan Adjustment Act has been developed. Here’s a look at the key points covered in the bill.
It provides a way to grant permanent status to the Afghan evacuees, and assurance in terms of their legal status in the country. The proposed bill aims to create a way for them to get permanent residency to the Afghans who were brought into the States through parole after upholding the criteria laid down. This includes extensive screening and vetting along with other requirements about the rescued period and eligibility. This intends to provide some legal assistance in terms of obtaining residency and legal status in the country. The qualified applicants can apply for the residency and are to be granted permanent stature after substantiating their presence in the States for two years at the least since the application. To ensure the ethical working of the act, candidates eligible for residence would not have their parole extended further.
The bill also proposes strict vetting provisions to ensure criminals’ inadmissibility and safeguard national security. Laws similar to prevailing regulations for refugee immigration consisting of screening and thorough interviews for inspection will be put into action with a strict anti-criminal entry policy.
It also aims to extend the benefits to those abandoned or left in Afghanistan. The bill proposes to incorporate and broaden eligibility for those wanting to receive SIVs. This includes army personnel, higher-level officers, and immediate family units. It also suggests inaugurating an interagency troop to help eligible Afghans residing in Afghanistan to apply for SIV.
The US forces after the evacuation in Afghanistan (Source- CNN)
The bill has been lauded and received a positive public reaction, but whether or not it becomes a reality is a question we need to contemplate. The passing of the bill through Congress stays doubtful, even though it ascertains security vetting and ensures that national security is not unsettled. The situation becomes even more unpredictable as the following elections could witness a transition of power to the Republicans. In case of the failure of the proposed bill, Afghans paroled in the States can apply for residency through already existing programmes formulated for the intake of refugees. Though the bill promises the evacuated and exhausted Afghans a possibility of building a life in the U.S, whether it becomes a reality or is a mirage is a question that remains to be answered.
