Afghan Refugees in Qatar Granted Nine-Month Extension at Al-Saliyah Camp
BAREEN Media – Afghan refugees staying at Al-Saliyah camp in Qatar will be allowed to remain there for at least another nine months after the camp’s operation was extended under a new agreement.
The camp was due to close, and the refugees were expected to leave on Wednesday. About 1,039 Afghans are currently staying there, with women and children making up more than 70 percent of the group.
The Associated Press reported, citing a U.S. official, that the extension will give the refugees more time while arrangements are made for their eventual relocation. Most are family members of former Afghan partners of U.S. forces who have been waiting for transfer to the United States.
Earlier reports suggested that the refugees could be sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a plan that faced opposition from migrant rights groups and some members of the U.S. Congress. Four U.S. lawmakers also called for an exceptional pathway to allow the group to travel from Qatar to the United States.
The extension temporarily prevents the forced transfer of the Afghan refugees to another country, but their timeline and final destination remain unclear.
