The Trump administration is in talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo to resettle 1,100 Afghans. These Afghans have been stranded in Qatar awaiting U.S. visas. An advocacy organisation that works on their behalf shared this information. The discussions underscore the legal hurdles facing Afghans who fled the Taliban. U.S. immigrant visa processing for Afghan nationals effectively halted. This leaves them in limbo more than four years after the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul. Therefore, the US resettle Afghans in Congo proposal aims to resolve this backlog.
Shawn VanDiver is founder and president of #AfghanEvac. This coalition includes veterans and advocacy groups. He told Reuters that U.S. officials briefed him about the plan. He described resettlement in Congo as unacceptable. Chronic insecurity in the central African country is one reason for his concern. The Afghans currently live at Camp As Sayliyah. This is a former U.S. Army base in Qatar. They transferred there to complete immigrant visa processing for entry into the United States.
Legal Roadblocks Halt Afghan Visa Processing
Some of the Afghans are relatives of U.S. citizens. Others worked for a U.S.-funded organization during the 20-year war. However, that processing ground to a halt after the Trump administration took office in January 2025. Last June, the Trump administration included Afghanistan on a list of 12 countries subject to a travel ban. There is a narrow exemption for Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who served alongside troops and diplomats.
In November, Washington stopped immigrant visa processing for all Afghan nationals. This followed a deadly shooting. An Afghan former CIA-backed paramilitary unit member shot and killed two U.S. National Guard members. A federal judge ruled in February that the ban on Afghan SIV visa processing was illegal. However, processing is effectively at a standstill, according to VanDiver. #AfghanEvac said in a statement on Tuesday that the 1,100 Afghans had already been vetted for resettlement.
State Department Calls Resettlement a Positive Solution
A State Department spokesperson said in an email late on Tuesday that resettling the Afghans in a third country would be a positive solution. It would give them a chance to start a new life outside of Afghanistan. The spokesperson did not respond directly to a question about whether Congo was among the countries under consideration. A Congolese government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Times first reported on the US resettle Afghans in Congo effort.
Congo has experienced decades of conflict. The country is currently fighting a Rwanda-backed rebel movement. This movement made major incursions in the east last year. That makes it unlikely the Afghans will accept resettlement there, VanDiver said. He added that the U.S. could potentially use their refusal as justification for sending them back to Afghanistan.
Advocate Warns of Statelessness or Death
“I worry that this is just a way for State to wash their hands of these folks,” VanDiver said. “Many of them are women, children, and family of U.S. military.” He said the plan will ultimately result in them becoming stateless or having to go back to certain death in Afghanistan. The Trump administration had previously sought to resettle the Afghans in Botswana. VanDiver described that country as a more viable potential destination.
The initial plan to send the Afghans to Botswana has not previously been reported. Botswana’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The State Department did not comment on whether it had tried to resettle the Afghans there previously. Plans to send the group to Botswana ultimately fell through, according to VanDiver. Botswana objected to a new U.S. requirement. That requirement demands that its citizens seeking to enter the U.S. post a $15,000 visa bond.
The US resettle Afghans in Congo proposal now faces significant opposition. Advocacy groups are mobilizing against the plan. The Afghans themselves may refuse to go to Congo. Legal challenges could follow. The Trump administration must decide whether to proceed or find another solution. Meanwhile, 1,100 people remain stranded in Qatar. Their futures hang in the balance. The coming weeks will determine whether Congo becomes their new home or merely another stop on a desperate journey.
