Ranking Member Shaheen Statement on Trump Administration Decision to Shut Down Afghan Relocation Operations in Qatar

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the Administration's decision to shut down Camp As Sayliya, a key transit site in Qatar for Afghan relocations:

"I am very disappointed by this Administration's decision to close a critical hub for Afghan relocations in Qatar without any plan to safely resettle hundreds of at-risk Afghans. These include many women and children as well as individuals who put their lives on the line in service of the United States. This Administration is abandoning them to uncertainty and danger. Turning our backs on partners who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. forces is a profound betrayal of our values and will make it harder for the United States to earn the trust and cooperation of allies when we need it.

"The vast majority of Afghans at Camp As Sayliya have clear pathways to resettle in the United States, and I urge the Administration to honor the commitments we made to honor their sacrifices. It would be shameful for the U.S. to pressure any Afghan ally to return to life under the Taliban, and it is incumbent upon lawmakers of both parties to ensure no Afghans at Camp As Sayliya are forced back to a life of persecution and torture."

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