A US official and a coalition of military veterans and human rights groups said on Friday that the US government plans to deport a number of Afghan asylum seekers to Afghanistan.
Reuters reported early Saturday, October 31, that many of those facing deportation fled Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power.
According to the report, Sean VanDiver, president of the AfghanEvac group, said some of those at risk of deportation are “the brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, families the Taliban have ample reason to target.”
Some sources said more than 150 Afghan migrants are expected to be deported, in what could be one of the largest group deportations of Afghans.
A US official said the deportations are expected to take place through Pakistan.
Because Washington has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban, it cannot coordinate directly with the group to arrange the return of individuals to Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, VanDiver has urged the US Congress to pass legislation granting Afghans living in the United States Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to shield them from deportation.
