U.S. Plans Qatar Camp Closure
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative file photo — A U.S. Army military police officer walks with an Afghan evacuee child at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Aug. 26, 2021. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elizabeth Hackbarth
Roughly 150 relatives of U.S. service members and veterans remain at a holding camp in Qatar that the U.S. government plans to close by the end of September, according to an organization assisting Afghans affected by the halt in visa issuance.
The military-connected family members are among more than 1,000 Afghans still at Camp As Sayliyah, where many have waited for U.S. immigration cases to be resolved. The State Department has told government watchdogs it plans to close the facility by the end of September 2026.
AfghanEvac, an organization advocating for Afghan allies and their families, told Military Times that approximately 150 relatives of U.S. troops and veterans are currently at the camp. The organization says around 3,000 military-connected family members are affected more broadly by restrictions that have halted visa issuance for many Afghans.
Government data provides additional context for the military connection. As of March 16, 1,119 Afghans remained at Camp As Sayliyah, including 211 extended family members of American service members, according to a Lead Inspector General report to Congress. AfghanEvac said earlier this month that the camp's total population had since fallen to 1,039.
Among those waiting is the brother of medically retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Sean Jamshidi. Jamshidi told Military Times that his brother worked for the U.S. government during the war in Afghanistan and has been waiting at the Qatar facility for nearly two years.
The situation follows a major change in U.S. immigration policy. Effective Jan. 1, the State Department suspended visa issuance to Afghan nationals across immigrant and nonimmigrant categories with limited exceptions. The new restrictions also removed the categorical exemption previously available to Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants. Case-by-case national-interest exceptions remain possible.
Afghan SIV applicants can still submit applications and attend scheduled interviews, according to the State Department, but applicants covered by the presidential restrictions may be unable to receive a visa or enter the United States.
The White House has said the restrictions are intended to address national-security, screening and vetting concerns involving countries including Afghanistan. The administration has cited the Taliban's control of Afghanistan and what it describes as deficiencies in the country's identity-management and information-sharing systems.
The approaching closure of Camp As Sayliyah has created additional uncertainty over what happens to those still there. AfghanEvac said Aug. 3 that the Sept. 30 deadline may ultimately be extended because the International Organization for Migration's contract at the site runs through the end of the year, but the U.S. government has not publicly announced such an extension.
The issue has also reached Congress. Lawmakers and advocacy groups are pushing legislation that could provide temporary immigration protections for Afghans affected by the restrictions, while supporters of Afghan allies argue the United States has an obligation to people who supported American troops during the 20-year war.
For military families with relatives still waiting, however, the immediate question remains unresolved: whether their relatives will receive permission to come to the United States before the Qatar facility closes or whether another arrangement will be made for those still at the camp.
(Source: OAF Nation)
