EXPLAINER: What happened to the Afghanistan evacuation?

WASHINGTON – The evacuation of American citizens and others from Afghanistan didn’t extremity with the departure of the past U.S. troops connected Aug. 30, but it did dilatory to a trickle. The U.S. airlifted 124,000 radical from Kabul, the capital, implicit astir six weeks arsenic the American-backed Afghan subject and authorities fell to the Taliban.

Since then, respective 1000 radical person managed to get out, mostly connected flights arranged by the State Department oregon backstage groups and individuals. That includes immoderate high-profile efforts, specified arsenic the Nov. 18 formation chartered by world TV prima Kim Kardashian West for members of Afghanistan’s women’s younker improvement shot squad and their families.

Most of the departures, however, person been carried retired softly for remaining American citizens, U.S. residents oregon radical with the peculiar migrant visa for those who worked arsenic subject interpreters oregon different aided the 20-year, Washington-led warfare effort. But radical progressive successful these efforts are calling connected the United States and different nations to bash much to assistance radical flight Taliban rule.

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A look astatine the existent situation:

WHO GOT OUT DURING THE INITIAL PHASE AND WHERE DID THEY GO?

As the Afghan authorities and subject fell to the Taliban successful August, the U.S. hastily sought to evacuate arsenic galore radical arsenic imaginable done the main airdrome successful Kabul. It was a chaotic country due to the fact that the illness happened much rapidly than the U.S. authorities anticipated. The evacuation, mostly connected subject cargo jets, prioritized American citizens, U.S. imperishable residents, peculiar visa holders oregon those whose enactment would apt marque them eligible, on with their families. The flights besides carried radical who were considered peculiarly susceptible to Taliban retribution oregon their harsh rule, including journalists and quality rights advocates.

The 124,000 radical evacuated successful the archetypal phases included astir 6,000 American citizens. Some Afghans from these flights person been temporarily moved to astatine slightest 8 countries that agreed to instrumentality radical who whitethorn yet scope the U.S. arsenic refugees oregon volition beryllium resettled elsewhere. The U.S. has truthful acold admitted 73,000 Afghans from this archetypal phase. They volition yet determination to communities astir the United States with assistance from backstage organizations. About 40,000 are inactive being housed astatine 7 subject bases successful the U.S. arsenic they implicit migration and aesculapian processing and await resettlement.

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WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE?

In September, the Taliban started to let immoderate charter flights to permission the state with American citizens, U.S. residents and visa holders, arsenic good arsenic radical from different countries and Afghans with due question documents. Private organizations with names specified arsenic Allied Airlift 21 and Task Force Argo person reported getting charter flights retired with hundreds of people. The State Department has chartered flights and says it has evacuated 435 American citizens and 325 radical with imperishable U.S. nonmigratory presumption — greenish paper holders — since Aug. 30.

People progressive successful these efforts estimation the full fig evacuated astatine possibly astir 8,000. It's constricted for galore reasons, including the information that radical are successful hiding oregon person destroyed oregon mislaid idiosyncratic documents erstwhile the Taliban took. Applying for an migrant visa to the U.S. astatine this constituent is hard due to the fact that the the American Embassy has closed; Qatar precocious agreed to grip immoderate consular services for the U.S.

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ARE THERE STILL AMERICAN CITIZENS IN AFGHANISTAN?

Yes.

Biden medication officials said this period they judge respective 100 stay successful Afghanistan. The State Department continues to connection transition retired to immoderate citizens oregon radical with imperishable nonmigratory status. As the U.S. subject evacuation ended, Secretary of State Antony Blinken enactment the fig of Americans near down astatine nether 200, “likely person to 100." The fig flown retired by the State Department since past is much than 4 times that amount.

Blinken has since said the section is successful interaction with American citizens who person indicated they privation to leave. But backstage organizations specified arsenic Task Force Argo and others accidental they person heard from dozens of radical successful Afghanistan who person yet to beryllium contacted by the U.S. government. It's a hazy representation for bully reason. Americans successful Afghanistan were not required to registry with the embassy and immoderate radical with U.S. citizenship oregon greenish cards whitethorn beryllium hiding from the Taliban. Blinken besides has said immoderate radical bash not privation to permission due to the fact that they bash not privation to permission down household members.

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WHAT ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LEAVE?

Human rights groups and organizations moving to assistance Afghans accidental determination are astatine slightest tens of thousands of radical successful Afghanistan who could look reprisals and request to escape. That includes radical who worked for the U.S.-backed authorities oregon subject but besides members of taste minorities oregon radical who are LGBTQ. Some person fled connected their ain to different countries and whitethorn beryllium capable to use to get to the U.S. elsewhere arsenic refugees.

AfghanEvac is simply a conjugation of much than 100 organizations moving to assistance radical get retired of Afghanistan country; galore of those groups were started by subject veterans. Representatives from AfghanEvac precocious met with Blinken arsenic portion of a run to transportation the U.S. to measurement up the evacuation effort.

Groups are besides enlisting assistance from Congress, hoping to grow the categories of radical who would suffice for the peculiar migrant visa, possibly to see those who served successful elite Afghan subject units. Some are besides seeking much fiscal enactment from the U.S. government. “We request immoderate help, we truly do,” Scott Mann, laminitis of Task Force Pineapple, which aims to link radical successful Afghanistan with flights retired of the country. “This is simply a occupation of standard and it is outpacing america quickly.”

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