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SIV holders not included in US suspension of refugee program
The US State Department suspended its refugee program Tuesday night, halting all refugee flights into the United States, under direction of President Donald Trump’s executive order, but the suspension does not apply to Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders.
The US State Department said in a memo to resettlement partners that the flights of refugees scheduled to travel to the United States have been cancelled, CNN reported.
Approximately 10,000 refugees had travel booked, which is now canceled. They include citizens of Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, Syria and Burma.
There are more than 1,000 Afghan refugees in Doha, CNN cited a US government official as saying, and several thousand, up to as many as 10,000, in Pakistan. But there are other Afghan refugees in “many, many countries around the world … whose cases will now just be stopped,” the official said.
These include those who are not SIV holders, according to the official.
While the US State Department has made it clear that the suspension does not apply to SIV holders, Trump’s order has ignited fears that he could halt this program as well, according to Kim Staffieri, executive director of the Association of Wartime Allies, a group that helps Afghans and Iraqis resettle in the United States.
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UK announces additional £3 million in aid for vulnerable people in Afghanistan
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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Around 2.3 million tourists visited Afghanistan’s recreational areas during Eid: Ghufran
Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture, announced on Tuesday that over Eid al-Fitr holidays approximately 2.3 million domestic and foreign tourists visited the country’s recreational areas and natural attractions.
Ghufran said this level of tourist presence shows a significant increase compared to previous years and indicates growth and strengthening of the tourism sector.
Meanwhile, officials from the ministry’s departments, while emphasizing public cooperation in preserving the environment, maintaining cleanliness in public places, and protecting tourist attractions, stated that through extensive cooperation and efforts by security institutions, tourists were able to travel to different parts of the country with full confidence during the Eid holidays.
According to Ghufran, the Ministry of Information and Culture is working to develop and strengthen the tourism sector across the country and to provide more facilities and conveniences for tourists.
However, some tourists who traveled to various provinces praised the order, security, and hospitality of the people. They said that all provinces of Afghanistan have always been beautiful, but this year, with the current level of security and tourism facilities, their trips have become even more memorable.
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Berlin does not recognize IEA envoy as charge d’affaires of Afghan embassy
The German government has stated that it does not recognize a representative of the Islamic Emirate as ambassador or chargé d’affaires of the Afghan embassy in Berlin.
The response follows a report by German public broadcaster ARD, which claimed that Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz, an individual linked to the Islamic Emirate, had assumed leadership of the Afghan diplomatic mission in the German capital.
According to Deutsche Welle, a spokesperson for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that no personnel changes at the Afghan embassy had been officially communicated. “The legal status of the embassy will remain unchanged,” the spokesperson added.
He further clarified that a diplomat can only be formally recognized as ambassador after being nominated by their home country and granted accreditation by the host government—procedures that have not taken place in this case.
The German Foreign Ministry also expressed its interest in maintaining regular Afghan consular services in Germany, adding that such services are important for facilitating “the return of individuals required to leave the country.”
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