Trump Administration Considers Sending Afghan Refugees to Congo or Back to Afghanistan, Despite Safety Risks

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a plan to relocate up to 1,100 Afghan nationals who assisted U.S. Forces during the war in Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to multiple news reports.

The individuals, who have been residing in Qatar since their evacuation in 2021, were previously eligible for resettlement in the United States but now face a choice between moving to Congo or returning to Afghanistan, where they would be at risk under Taliban rule.

According to the New York Times, the group includes interpreters who worked with U.S. Troops, members of the Afghan special forces, family members of American soldiers and more than 400 children.

NBC News reported that most of the Afghans in question have already undergone screening and been approved for U.S. Resettlement, but the Trump administration halted the program that allowed them to apply for relocation to the United States.

The plan, first reported by the New York Times, comes after the Trump administration ended a special immigrant visa program that had allowed Afghans who aided U.S. Forces to apply for resettlement in the United States. The decision followed an incident in which two National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C., by an Afghan national admitted to the U.S. In 2021.

Shawn VanDiver, president of the advocacy group AfghanEvac, told both the Guardian and NBC News that he had been briefed on the discussions by officials at the State Department. He criticized the proposal, stating that sending refugees to Congo — a country experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with over 600,000 refugees already present — would not solve displacement but instead exacerbate it.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently facing significant instability, including armed conflict and a large displaced population. The United Nations Refugee Agency reported that 8.2 million people were displaced in the country as of September 2025, with projections to reach 9 million by the end of the year.

As of now, the plan remains under discussion between U.S. And Congolese officials and has not been finalized. No formal agreement has been announced, and the individuals in Qatar have not yet been presented with the proposed options.