Blinken: Visas for Afghan staff being expedited

KABUL (Pajhwok): The US secretary of state has promised speeding up Immigration visas for the Afghans who worked with American forces in Afghanistan.

Antony Blinken held out the promise during a testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday, Bloomberg News reported.

The Biden administration was studying all options to help Afghan interpreters, drivers, construction workers and other staff under threat, he told lawmakers.

Blinken’s vow came in response to the concerns voiced about the translators’ safety by Republican member Michael McCaul of Texas.

McCaul said: “these people will have a bulls-eye or target on their back from the moment we leave the country” and that if they were abandoned “we are effectively signing their death warrants.”

Blinken informed the panel that a backlog of immigration applications was being cleared. He urged Congress to raise a cap on special immigrant visas for Afghans by 8,000 slots.

PAN Monitor/mud