Fear and Uncertainty Grip Afghans as Travel Ban Takes Effect

Ahmad, a former Afghan military employee, has been living in hiding for years, fearing persecution by the Taliban. With his refugee resettlement process in the US stalled, he had held onto hope that he would soon find safety in America. However, the recent travel ban imposed by President Donald Trump has dashed his hopes. “I am not a threat to the United States,” Ahmad told the BBC, pleading for understanding. “We were friends of the United States,” he added, highlighting the complex relationship between Afghanistan and the US.

The travel ban, which came into effect on Monday, blocks people from Afghanistan and 11 other countries, including seven from Africa, from entering the US. The ban cites national security threats and visa overstay concerns as reasons for its implementation. According to the US government, Afghanistan was included due to the Taliban’s designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group and the country’s lack of competent authority for issuing passports and civil documents.

For Afghans like Ahmad, the ban has brought immense uncertainty and fear. Many have fled to neighboring Pakistan, waiting for a decision on their application, while others are trapped in Afghanistan, living in constant fear of persecution. Samira, currently in Pakistan, expressed her desperation, saying, “Returning to Afghanistan is not an option for us – it would be incredibly challenging. Our children have already lost years of education, and we have no hope of safely going back.”

The ban also affects Afghans who have already reached the US. Mojo, an Afghan citizen who worked directly with the US military and is now a US citizen, sees his family still in Afghanistan struggling to survive. His sister and her husband are “living in a hide and seek game,” constantly changing their address and city to stay safe. The latest order has made Mojo and his family lose “all our hope completely.” “I wish that he would change his mind, make some exception, change the rules or take his order back and let people have a peaceful life,” he said.

Zarifa Ghafari, a student at Cornell University, is currently in Germany with her young child. She began a “frantic” race back to the US on Thursday to continue her studies before the travel ban took effect. The ban has put her under “immense pressure” and made her feel “very vulnerable.” Shawn VanDiver of AfghanEvac criticized the ban, saying it breaks a promise Americans made to Afghans over the 20 years they were in the country. “This policy punishes people who escaped the Taliban, risked everything to support democracy, are already vetted, were told by the US government to wait. They’re not threats. They’re our allies – and they’re being left behind,” he wrote.