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US Secretary of State says Afghan vetting process ‘under review’
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the process of relocating eligible Afghans to the United States is being reviewed as previous vetting processes raised concerns.
During a US Senate hearing, Rubio said a review into the process is underway and that “frankly there have been some errors found in the previous vetting process that we’re concerned about.”
“To some extent, their transfer has been paused or slowed down because those previous vetting procedures need to be completed.”
He stated the process is still under review to ensure that only eligible individuals are admitted into the US.
Earlier, US officials said that with the start of Donald Trump’s administration, the travel plans of hundreds of Afghans had been canceled.
Recently, the Trump administration said over 10,000 Afghan refugees who have not yet been granted asylum and are under temporary protection need to leave the US.
Addressing the Senate, Rubio said: “There was some concerns early on about freezing or slowing down this program until we could determine whether we were properly vetting people to come towards the United States and that process is ongoing and I think we’ll have more concrete answers for you.
“We’re working to make progress on that,” he said.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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