US rejects humanitarian entry requests of hundreds of Afghans

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has rejected applications from hundreds of Afghans seeking temporary entry into the United States on humanitarian grounds, Anadolu reported.

Media outlets have reported that hundreds of Afghans who were separated from their families and were threatened by the Taliban in recent weeks had applied for humanitarian visas to move to the United States, but their requests were rejected.

USCIS has received more than 35,000 applications for humanitarian visas since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in August.

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USCIS spokeswoman Victoria Palmer said this week, the department accepted more than 140 applications conditionally and rejected about 470.

Immigrant rights activists have criticised the administration of President Joe Biden for not fulfilling its promise to help Afghan citizens after Washington’s withdrawal.

Last August, the Taliban movement took full control of Afghanistan during the final stage of a US military withdrawal from the country.