The Los Angeles Times published an op-ed yesterday by Secretary of State John Kerry, in which he called on Congress to authorize the expansion of the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for Afghans who worked alongside the American military during Operation Enduring Freedom, also known as the War in Afghanistan. Secretary Kerry, a veteran himself, warned that the United States is “in danger of sending the wrong message to Afghan interpreters and others who risked their lives helping us in Afghanistan,” as well as pointed out that the State Department has drastically reduced application processing times over the past year.
By putting the onus on Congress to increase the number of visas that may be awarded per year, Kerry has given hope to thousands of Afghans who worked for or with the United States in some capacity. IRAP applauds his efforts and promises to continue its policy efforts to make sure that our Afghan allies are not left behind.