The U.S. State Department office responsible for Afghan resettlement is reviewing plans to close by April, according to officials and sources familiar with the matter. The move, part of a broader government review, could impact thousands of Afghans awaiting relocation to the United States.
The Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) was established during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 to assist Afghans eligible for resettlement. Initially a temporary initiative, CARE became a permanent program in October 2022 and has since facilitated the relocation of approximately 118,000 people.
Under the current review, options are being considered for the office’s future, including the potential closure of processing centers in Qatar and Albania, where nearly 3,000 Afghans, including unaccompanied minors, are waiting for final relocation steps.
The review aligns with President Trump’s broader efforts to reassess government programs, streamline spending, and adjust foreign aid policies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are among those expected to evaluate the next steps.
110,000 Afghans in Afghanistan with pending SIV or refugee applications.
40,000 individuals already cleared for relocation awaiting final processing.
50,000 more in 90 countries, including Pakistan, in various stages of resettlement.
Advocacy groups have expressed concern about the program’s future, noting its role in supporting those who worked alongside the U.S. during the 20-year engagement in Afghanistan.
Trump’s administration has initiated a 90-day review of the refugee program to assess its effectiveness and alignment with foreign policy priorities. Meanwhile, organizations involved in relocation efforts continue to work with officials to explore solutions for those affected.
The White House and the State Department have not commented on the discussions. As the review progresses, officials are expected to weigh various options to ensure a balanced approach that considers policy priorities and commitments made to Afghan partners.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
France plans to send anti-missile and anti-drone systems to southern Cyprus after a British air base on the island was attacked by drones, the semi-official Cyprus News Agency (CNA) said on Tuesday.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Australia on Tuesday (3 March), aiming to bolster relations between the two so-called "middle powers" amid what he has called a "rupture" in world order.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
Türkiye raised its security level for Turkish-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to Level 3 on Sunday (2 March). The development follows Iranian restrictions on shipping after U.S. and Israeli strikes and confirmation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors as tensions continue to rise.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
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