Over 700 Afghan refugees have departed U.S. Army bases where they were temporarily sheltered as they wait to receive resettlement services for their transition into local communities. These "independent departures" took place before they received such services and the number of individuals who have left have grown to the hundreds.
According to Reuters, two sources familiar with the situation in these U.S. military bases have revealed that the number of Afghan refugees who have left had gone beyond 700. Immigration advocates have expressed concern that Afghans are now facing risks for foregoing the voluntary resettlement process.
Meanwhile, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson refused to comment on the actual figure of Afghan refugees who chose to independently depart from the Army bases. The spokesperson said, however, that those who did leave "generally" had ties to the U.S., such as family members of friends and other resources to support them in their new lives in America.
The spokesperson added that many of those who were evacuated from Afghanistan were already U.S. citizens, permanent residents or had approved Special Immigrant Visas, which was why they were able to escape the Taliban-ruled country immediately.
The Christan Post reported that more than 3,600 Afghan refugees have successfully been resettled outside the resettlement areas, while 53,000 more remain across eight U.S. Another 14,000 are set to arrive from Europe this week. A document called "Departee Information" outlines several warnings to Afghans in the event that they leave the base they were assigned to. Such advantages that would be forfeited in the event that they independently leave are travel money and a ban from returning to the base where they were brought into.
In September, two Afghan men in the Fort McCoy U.S. Army base in Wisconsin charged with sexually assaulting children and physically abusing a spouse. U.S. officials have also received reports on Afghan men presenting young girls as their "wives," some of which alleged they were raped and forced to marry the older men who used them to escape Afghanistan.
U.S. Northern Command head Gen. Glen VanHerck reported that federal authorities are also investigating an assault case against three to four Afghan men who assaulted a female service member at a Fort Bliss shelter complex. There have also been cases of robberty and theft. Lt. Col. Allie Payne, 1st Armored Division spokeswoman said that the FBI is currently handling an investigation into these cases.
Several Republican senators recently wrote a letter to President Joe Biden expressing that they are "deeply concerned that your withdrawal has imported an acute human rights crisis to our country." The letter was drafted by Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota.
In September, 44 Afghan refugees were reported to have been caught trying to flee to the U.S. They were flagged by Homeland Security, the New York Post reported. Among the 44 Afghan refugees, 16 were not allowed to travel to the U.S. and were forced to remain in overseas transit sites. Thirteen were taken in the custody of Customs and Border Protection while 15 were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and were either sent back to the Middle East or Europe following additional reviews.
