Four people familiar with the matter said that the U.S. government indirectly funds a Taliban-controlled airline to transport Afghan refugees out of Kabul.
The Biden administration cannot offer any alternative to this arrangement without U.S. diplomats or troops on the ground. It tries to assist Afghans who want to resettle in America.
According to sources, two refugee advocacy groups and two individuals from the Biden administration, the Biden administration in indirect purchases bulk plane tickets from Ariana Afghan Airlines.
It is not clear how much the airline charges for blocks of tickets, or if the Taliban has to pay additional fees. According to the airline’s website, one ticket to Qatar is approximately $478.
Poor safety records have plagued the airline.
The U.S. government arranges the passage of the passengers to the U.S. once they arrive in Doha.
In January, the Taliban suspended U.S. chartered flights to Doha. Officials from the United States claimed that the suspension was caused by a dispute between Qatar and the Taliban over who should be allowed to board. Three sources familiar with the situation told NBC News that the Taliban didn’t want the flights to be portrayed as “evacuations” in media coverage. The flights resumed at March 31.
According to a U.S. source, approximately 2,500 Afghans traveling to the U.S. from Kabul have flown from Doha to Kabul since the flights resumed two months ago. U.S. officials, refugee advocates and others fear that the arrangement could be rescinded by the Taliban.
A spokesperson for the State Department stated that “the United States continues to support American citizens, lawful permanent resident, and our Afghan allies, as well as their families, who are eligible to move to the United States.” This is a long-term effort, and the State Department continues support for travel to these individuals from Afghanistan.
According to refugee advocates, there are approximately 160,000 Afghans who want to resettle in the United States. This is based on their work experience with the U.S. government during the past 20 years. A refugee program is available to assist Afghans who have worked for U.S.-funded projects, organizations, or media outlets.
It could take many years for these Afghans to be able to move to the United States at the current pace.
Qatar hosts the World Cup in November/December. Refugee organizations are concerned that Qatar could curtail the Afghan refugee program. A U.S. official confirmed that flights will continue throughout the World Cup.
The official from the United States stated that they have been working with Qatar and will continue to do so during and after the World Cup.
Legislators and refugee advocacy organizations criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. troop withdraw from Afghanistan in August 2021. Critics accused White House of not planning for large-scale evacuations of Afghans who were serving in the U.S. military, and facing grave Taliban threats. Biden’s administration has rebuffed the criticism and stated that the evacuation was a remarkable success and that it took place quickly under difficult circumstances.
The United Nations reported “credible allegations” that more than 100 Taliban members, security forces personnel, and former Afghan government officials have been killed since August’s departure of U.S. troops.
Ariana Afghan Airlines was banned by the European Union from flying into EU airspace since 2006 because it did not meet EU safety standards. AirlineRatings.com gave Ariana a low safety rating in its 2019 safety assessment of over 400 airlines.
