Ankara unsettled by role in US program to relocate Afghans
Washington unveiled a program Monday for Afghan refugees to seek asylum in the United States via third countries, including Turkey, raising criticism from Ankara officials who fear the move could fuel a new migration crisis.
ISTANBUL — Ankara officials are condemning a US program to resettle Afghan refugees via third countries, including Turkey, saying the move could spark a new migration crisis in the region and overburden the nation, which currently hosts more than 4 million displaced people.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled a relocation plan for thousands of Afghans who may be targeted by the Taliban for their affiliation with US organizations, as American troops complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan following 20 years of war.
The program, intended for Afghans who worked for US contractors, nongovernmental organizations or media organizations and who are not eligible for US special immigrant visas, requires applicants to leave Afghanistan and wait in a third country where their cases will be processed in 12 to 14 months. The countries most likely to serve as third nations for applicants are Pakistan and Turkey via Iran, which Afghans must transit at their own expense.
-Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic denounced the move as an “irresponsible decision” in a statement Tuesday, claiming Ankara officials were not consulted prior to the plan’s announcement.
