U.S. Plans to Relocate Evacuated Afghan Families to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 20 January 2025 President Donald Trump signed an executive order that suspended all refugee processing. The order was issued a week before the Nasimi family’s scheduled flight from Qatar to Denver, Colorado, and cancelled the departure despite the family’s completed security vetting. The suspension has left more than 1,100 Afghan evacuees—at least 700 women and children—stranded in Qatar.

The Guardian

Following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, families who had assisted U.S. forces sought evacuation. Nasimi’s relatives arrived in the United States in 2024, while she, her husband and four children were transferred to the As-Sayliyah transit camp in Qatar in December 2024. What was presented as a brief stopover has extended to roughly 18 months of limbo.

The Guardian

The camp, originally a hangar for processing, now houses families in metal containers with shared toilets and kitchens. Residents cannot leave the site, receive no formal schooling, and have reported missile fragments striking the roof during the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran. GPS trackers were installed on some evacuees, and mental-health diagnoses—including depression, anxiety, premature births, and suicide attempts—have risen sharply.

The Guardian

• Afghan evacuees in Qatar: ~1,100 (? 700 women/children).

The Guardian

• Refugees already in the DRC: >600,000, many in active conflict zones.

The Guardian

• Afghans awaiting processing elsewhere: ~150,000 in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Guardian

• U.S. financial incentives to return to Afghanistan: $4,500 for the principal applicant and $1,200 per family member.

The Guardian

The Trump administration has indicated that, after suspending refugee admissions, it is negotiating to relocate the Afghan families to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) rather than to the United States. The State Department has offered monetary incentives for families to voluntarily repatriate to Afghanistan, describing the move as a means to “resolve the outstanding resettlement issue.” Officials have not provided a definitive timeline for any DRC relocation.

The Guardian

AfghanEvac, an NGO founded by Shawn VanDiver, argues that the United States has failed to honor its two-decade commitment to Afghan allies. VanDiver emphasizes that the DRC is “in active conflict” and lacks the infrastructure, legal protections, or community networks needed for safe resettlement. Families in the camp, including Zahra Muhib (15) and Hasina Nasimi, have expressed that returning to Afghanistan is unsafe and that relocation to the DRC would be “a huge injustice.”

The Guardian

Public sources do not disclose how many of the 1,100 evacuees are slated for DRC relocation, nor do they clarify whether the offered financial incentives can be accepted while an open U.S. immigration case remains. The administration’s timeline for any relocation remains unspecified.

The Guardian

• “double quotation mark My life has been on hold since the Taliban came and I don’t think I can start dreaming big in the DRC Zahra Muhib, 15 “People are going crazy here,” Nasimi says of the conditions in Qatar.” — Zahra Muhib, 15

The Guardian

• “Women have had premature births because of the trauma and uncertainty, and there have even been suicide attempts.” — Hasina Nasimi

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• “The only right solution is to bring them to America,” — Shawn VanDiver, founder, AfghanEvac

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• “The DRC is in active conflict, and is already hosting over 600,000 refugees. It lacks the infrastructure, legal protections, or community support necessary for resettlement.” — Shawn VanDiver

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• “I want Americans to know that their government has broken its promise,” — Mohammad Nasimi, U.S. veteran

The Guardian

• “I’m stuck here. My dreams are shattered. I don’t dare to dream again.” — Zahra Muhib

The Guardian

The proposed DRC relocation raises questions about U.S. compliance with international resettlement obligations and could prompt legal challenges from evacuees and advocacy groups. Monitoring of State Department negotiations, clarification of incentive eligibility, and potential congressional oversight are expected as the situation develops.

The Guardian