The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has initiated a sweeping review of green cards issued to individuals from 19 “countries of concern,” while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has indefinitely halted the processing of Afghan-related immigration requests.

USCIS Director Joe Edlow confirmed on X that the agency will re-examine all permanent resident cards granted to nationals of the 19 countries listed in President Donald Trump’s June Presidential Proclamation.

The countries include Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Venezuela, Myanmar, and others where U.S. officials say document verification and security assessments remain challenging.

Edlow said the review will evaluate “negative, country-specific factors,” including the credibility and reliability of identity documents produced by these nations.

In a parallel move, DHS has frozen Afghan immigration cases and is reviewing asylum approvals granted under the Biden Administration.

Trump has framed the policy as part of a broader effort to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries,” revoke federal benefits for noncitizens, and increase denaturalization actions against individuals deemed security risks.

Supporters of the administration’s approach argue that heightened scrutiny is necessary for national security. Critics, however, warn that the measures could trigger mass delays, denials, and potential revocations of legal status for thousands of residents and applicants.

The new rules, implemented immediately on November 27, will significantly increase immigration screening for nationals of the 19 designated countries.

Employers with foreign staff from these regions have been advised to closely monitor the immigration status of affected employees, as the policy shift may lead to prolonged uncertainty and additional compliance challenges.

Pakistan’s citrus sector is facing a worsening export crisis as the closure of the Afghanistan crossing continues to block access to its largest market.

Despite the start of the 2025 citrus season, exports are set to fall further from an already steep decline — dropping from $211 million in fiscal year 2021 to just $92.5 million in fiscal year 2025.

Afghanistan, which absorbs around 60% of Pakistan’s citrus exports, has remained closed to trade since mid-October.

This year alone, Pakistan shipped 153,683 tonnes of citrus to Afghanistan, while exports through the Afghan transit route also supply Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. With that corridor shut, exporters warn that the bulk of Pakistan’s kinnow harvest could go unsold.

A temporary policy exemption now allows citrus shipments to transit through Iran, but exporters say volumes to Central Asia and Russia cannot compensate for the loss of the Afghan market.

The crisis, however, goes deeper than the current crossing closure situation. Pakistan’s citrus industry continues to suffer from long-standing structural challenges — including reliance on the outdated, seeded kinnow variety that makes up over 90% of exports.

Climate change, rising pest pressure, shrinking yields, and declining A-grade fruit quality have all eroded competitiveness. Yields have fallen to about six tonnes per acre, and nearly half of kinnow processing units have closed.

Global competitors such as Egypt, China, Spain, Morocco, and Brazil have overtaken Pakistan by introducing new seedless, high-yielding varieties with longer harvest windows. As profits shrink, farmers are abandoning citrus orchards: the cultivated area has dropped 16% in the past five years.

Experts say Pakistan must urgently invest in developing seedless, climate-resilient varieties and strengthen existing research centres. At the same time, trade officials need to diversify export destinations by securing new sanitary and phytosanitary agreements to reduce dependence on a single market.

Without structural reforms and diversified access, Pakistan’s signature fruit risks losing its place in global markets — and its farmers risk losing their livelihoods.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani urged direct engagement with non-state actors as essential to resolving conflicts across the region, from Afghanistan to Gaza.

Speaking at the 23rd Doha Forum, he said peace efforts cannot succeed if major actors on the ground are excluded. “You cannot reach a solution if no one is speaking to non-state actors,” he told a session moderated by US journalist Tucker Carlson.

Sheikh Mohammed noted that Qatar’s mediation model—used in Afghan peace talks and repeated ceasefire efforts in Gaza—is built on facilitating communication between all sides. He revealed that both Hamas and the Taliban opened political offices in Doha at the request of the United States to maintain reliable channels for negotiations.

Addressing accusations that Qatari aid to Gaza was diverted to Hamas, he stressed that all funds were delivered transparently to civilians, with oversight from the US and coordination with Israel.

He also criticised political figures who, he said, distort Qatar’s role for domestic gain, despite its mediation leading to hostage releases, humanitarian pauses, and ceasefires.

The Qatari PM condemned Israel’s strike on Qatari territory in September as an “unprecedented” breach of diplomatic norms and said reconstruction of Gaza must be the responsibility of those who caused the destruction.

This year’s Doha Forum brings together more than 5,000 participants from 162 countries to discuss conflict resolution, humanitarian crises, and global governance.