An article published in the digital news outlet Quartz describes the dire situations faced by Afghan interpreters whose Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) were delayed or not granted. SIV applicants often face a difficult choice: stay and risk their lives or leave and become refugees with an equally uncertain future.
The article quotes IRAP’s Policy Director, Betsy Fisher: “The single biggest cause for delay is security checks.” In fact, many of the Afghan allies who applied years ago are still awaiting a decision. And the number of available visas is running low. As IRAP noted in a recent press release, the defense bill recently passed by the Senate does not include additional SIVs.
Read the full article here to learn about the tragic stories of Muhammad, Ahmad, and Hamed.