Days before U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to rescue Afghan evacuees stranded in the United Arab Emirates, Emirati officials had already begun repatriating some of them to Afghanistan and informed U.S. officials of their plans, according to a confidential U.S. State Department cable seen by Reuters.

The internal cable, dated July 10, details a meeting between U.S. officials and Salem al-Zaabi, a senior advisor to the UAE foreign ministry, during which Emirati authorities confirmed the return of two Afghan families and disclosed plans to deport the remaining 25 evacuees still housed at the Emirates Humanitarian City facility in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE agreed in 2021 to temporarily host thousands of Afghans fleeing Kabul after the Islamic Emirate’s takeover during the final phase of the U.S. military withdrawal. While more than 17,000 evacuees were eventually resettled through the UAE facility, a group of about 30 individuals remain stranded.

On Sunday, Trump posted a message on his Truth Social platform, linking to a report on the stranded Afghans and declaring: “I will try to save them, starting right now.” But according to the State Department cable, the process of deportation was already underway — and the UAE had notified Washington of its intent to “close this chapter for good.”

In the July 10 meeting, al-Zaabi told U.S. officials that two families had already been “successfully and safely” returned to Afghanistan in early July. He added that the remaining 25 individuals would be deported by Sunday, July 20, and that the UAE would seek safety assurances from the Islamic Emirate.

While Emirati officials claimed the initial returns were voluntary, two sources familiar with the matter disputed that account, telling Reuters that Afghan families were being pressured to sign “voluntary” deportation papers or face arrest and forced removal.

The State Department, White House, and UAE government did not respond to requests for comment.
The fate of the remaining Afghans in the UAE carries wider implications, particularly for more than 1,500 Afghan men, women, and children who remain in Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar under similar circumstances.