WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Sunday vowed to help Afghans who have been detained in the United Arab Emirates for years after fleeing Taliban rule in their homeland.

“I will try to save them, starting right now,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social, linking to an article about the Afghans held in limbo.

The pledge comes despite Mr Trump’s broader immigration restrictions, as the Republican president suspended refugee resettlement after taking office in January, while his administration terminated temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in the US in April.

The UAE, a close US security partner, agreed in 2021 to temporarily house several thousand Afghans evacuated from Kabul as the Taliban seized power during the final stages of the US military withdrawal.

The evacuees have remained there since. The number of Afghans still detained in the Gulf remains unclear.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2025