WASHINGTON: Dismissing reports suggesting the US government is drafting travel ban lists to impose fresh visa restrictions on a number of countries, the US State Department reaffirmed its commitment to resettling Afghans who risked their lives to assist the US mission during its two-decade stint in Afghanistan.

At a recent news briefing, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce admitted that the Trump administration was conducting a broader security review of its visa policies under the presidential executive issued on January 20.

Ms Bruce, however, refuted the assertion that Afghanistan was on a list of nations facing a full suspension of visa issuance, stating: “First of all, there is no list. What people are looking at over these last several days is not a list that exists here that is being acted on.”

She explained that a review was being undertaken as part of an ongoing effort to assess visa policies and enhance US security. “There is a review, as we know, through the president’s executive order, for us to look at the nature of what’s going to help keep America safer in dealing with the issue of visas and who’s allowed into the country,” she said.

Affirms commitment to helping resettle Afghans who worked for US

Ms Bruce’s comments come amid reports from The New York Times, Reuters, and other media outlets, which suggest that the Trump administration was considering imposing travel restrictions — similar to those imposed by President Trump during his previous term — affecting multiple countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to these reports, internal discussions indicated a possible travel ban on Afghanistan and new visa restrictions on Pakistan, with both countries reportedly included on a list of 43 nations deemed security risks.

Concern over Afghan resettlement

The uncertainty surrounding US visa policies has raised concerns among Afghans awaiting resettlement, particularly those stranded in Pakistan, Qatar, and other countries.

Many Afghans in the resettlement pipeline, including those with approved cases, were impacted by Trump’s January executive order, which suspended all refugee programmes for at least three months.

Ms Bruce reiterated the US government’s commitment to resettling Afghans who assisted their efforts.

“The arrangements we have made already in the past, getting as many people from that conflict here, certainly those who have assisted us and worked with us, that’s been a policy and a dynamic that we’ve worked on from certainly even the previous administration, working to try to get that happening,” she said.

Advocacy groups working with Afghan refugees have raised concerns that shifts in US policy could further delay or halt resettlement efforts. Many Afghans, particularly those in Pakistan, face the threat of deportation after Islamabad set a March 31 deadline for the return of Afghan refugees.

Additionally, an agreement that allowed Albania to serve as a temporary refuge for Afghans is set to expire in March.

As the administration continues its review, thousands of Afghans remain in limbo.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2025