Trump says he will help Afghans stuck in the UAE
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Trump pledged to save Afghans. But UAE already sent some evacuees back, cable shows
UAE agreed in 2021 to temporarily house several thousand Afghans evacuated from Kabul. About 17,000 Afghan evacuees have been processed through the Abu Dhabi facility. More than 30 remaining Afghans have been stuck with their fate in limbo. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would try to save them, starting right now. But the Emirati government had already begun returning them to Afghanistan and informed Washington that it was doing so, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on July 21. It was not immediately clear if the remaining individuals had been sent back or the circumstances of the two families returned to Afghanistan. But two sources familiar with the matter disputed that account saying that the UAE government and Taliban’s ambassador to the UAE were making Afghan families at the Emirates Humanitarian City choose between signing a ‘voluntary’ deportation letter to Afghanistan or being arrested to be forcefully deported to the country, the sources said. The State Department, the White House and the Emirates government did not have immediate comment for this story.
WASHINGTON – Days before President Donald Trump said he would help Afghan evacuees who fled their country and were stuck in the United Arab Emirates, the Emirati government had already begun returning them to Afghanistan and informed Washington that it was doing so, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on July 21.
The UAE, a close security partner of the United States, agreed in 2021 to temporarily house several thousand Afghans evacuated from Kabul as the Taliban ousted the US-backed government during the final stages of the US-led withdrawal .
Throughout the years, about 17,000 Afghan evacuees have been processed through the Abu Dhabi facility, known as Emirates Humanitarian City. However, more than 30 remaining Afghans have been stuck with their fate in limbo.
News outlet “Just the News” reported on July 21 that UAE officials were preparing to hand over some Afghan refugees to the Taliban.
“I will try to save them, starting right now,” Mr Trump said in a post on Truth Social on July 21 that linked to an article on the Afghans held in limbo there.
However, it may already be too late for some.
In a July 10 meeting with US officials in Abu Dhabi, Mr Salem al-Zaabi, UAE Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister, told the Americans that two families had been “successfully and safely” sent back to Afghanistan in early July, the cable, which had the same date as the meeting, said.
Mr Al-Zaabi told the Americans that while the UAE understood the current policy from Washington, it was going to move to “close this chapter for good” and therefore would move to return the remaining 25 individuals by July 20 according to the cable.
He added that the Emirati government would seek assurances from the Taliban that their safety is guaranteed.
It was not immediately clear if the remaining individuals had been sent back or the circumstances of the two families returned to Afghanistan.
The cable and the return of the two Afghan families back to Afghanistan have not been previously reported.
Mr Trump, based on his Truth Social post, appeared to be out of the loop on the UAE’s plans.
The State Department, the White House and the UAE government did not have immediate comment for this story.
Afghans in Qatar also stuck
Mr Al-Zaabi told the US officials that the two families were returned to Afghanistan in early July “at their request, since they were tired of waiting”, the cable said.
But two sources familiar with the matter disputed that account saying that the UAE government and Taliban’s ambassador to the UAE were making Afghan families at the Emirates Humanitarian City choose between signing a ‘voluntary’ deportation letter to Afghanistan or being arrested to be forcefully deported to the country on July 21.
The cable also said that Mr Al-Zaabi asked the US to coordinate “perception management” to ensure Washington and Abu Dhabi were aligned on their messaging on the topic as the UAE did not want criticism from the NGOs “due to the inability of the United States to resettle the population in the United States or elsewhere.”
The fate of the more than 30 Afghan evacuees and how the administration handles their cases is crucial for the future of another 1,500 Afghan men, women and children who have been stuck in a similar facility in Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar.
Former President Joe Biden’s administration, since its chaotic US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, has brought nearly 200,000 Afghans to the United States.
Mr Trump, a Republican who promised a far-reaching immigration crackdown, suspended refugee resettlement after he took office in January.
In April, the Trump administration terminated temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in the US.
Democrats have urged Mr Trump to restore temporary protected status for Afghans, saying women and children could face particular harm under the Taliban-led government.
Since seizing power, Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has rolled back hard-fought rights won by Afghan women and girls during two decades of rule by American-backed governments. They have imposed limits on schooling, work and general independence in daily life.
Refugees include family members of Afghan-American US military personnel, children cleared to reunite with their parents, relatives of Afghans already admitted and tens of thousands of Afghans who worked for the US government during the 20-year war.
Advocacy group #AfghanEvac urged Mr Trump to follow up on his post with action.
“That means working to immediately secure protections and departures for the Afghans at the Emirates Humanitarian City in UAE and Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar and ensuring they are not deported back into the hands of the Taliban,” the group said in a statement. REUTERS
Russia insists on achieving Ukraine goals despite Trump’s ultimatum
Russian President Vladimir Putin “has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says. U.S. President Donald Trump gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher sanctions. Moscow continues to intensify its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Russia is open to peace with Ukraine, but achieving its goals remains a priority, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday, days after U.S. President Donald Trump gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher sanctions.
Peskov and other Russian officials have repeatedly rejected accusations from Kyiv and its Western partners of stalling peace talks. Meanwhile, Moscow continues to intensify its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, launching more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy,” Peskov told state television in an interview.
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“The main thing for us is to achieve our goals,” he said. “Our goals are clear.”
The Kremlin has insisted that any peace deal should see Ukraine withdraw from the four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022, but never fully captured.
It also wants Ukraine to renounce its bid to join NATO and accept strict limits on its armed forces — demands Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected.
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Waqanika questions PM’s legal advice
Lawyer Tanya Waqanika claims that the Prime Minister and the President are getting advice from someone else other than the Office of the Attorney General. She says the state can expect more lawsuits stemming from the COI report on the findings on how Malimali was appointed.
Lawyer Tanya Waqanika is today claiming that the Prime Minister and the President are getting advice from someone else other than the Office of the Attorney General.
Waqanika was in court this morning representing terminated Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption Commissioner Barbara Malimali, whereby leave was granted to apply for judicial review challenging her removal from office.
Malimali’s lawyer alluded to the fact that the manner in which her client was removed should be a concern for any member of the public, as she claims she doesn’t think the advice has been coming from the Office of the Attorney General prior to this.
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She adds that people deserve to know who is behind all this, as taxpayers’ money is involved.
She says the state can expect more lawsuits stemming from the COI report on the findings on how Malimali was appointed.
Meanwhile, FBC News understands that negotiations to reach a settlement in this matter have now stalled as new directions have been reached.
We are trying to get comments from the Prime Minister.
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Pope Leo calls for end to ‘barbarity of war’
Three people died and several were injured, including the parish priest, in the strike on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City. Photos show its roof has been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and shattering windows.
Pope Leo called for an end to the ‘barbarity of war’ on Sunday as he spoke of his profound pain over an Israeli strike on the sole Catholic church in Gaza.
Three people died and several were injured, including the parish priest, in the strike on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City on Thursday. Photos show its roof has been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and shattering windows.
Speaking after his Angelus prayer, Leo read out the names of those killed in the incident.
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“I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, of indiscriminate use of force and forced displacement of the population,” he said.
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San Diego-based Afghan advocacy group says Trump admin’s offer to help a ‘welcome surprise’
AfghanEvac: President Trump’s offer to help stranded Afghans is a “welcome surprise” The group urges the U.S. government to expedite the process of resettling Afghans in the United Arab Emirates. Last month, the group said it was “deeply concerned’ over the arrest and detainment of a former Afghan National Army soldier. The man, whose name was unavailable, had previously been granted asylum protections, but those were revoked under the Obama administration. The group says it is ready to work with anyone, including the president, to make the situation better for the Afghan people.
A San Diego group that supports the resettlement of Afghan wartime allies in the United States Sunday said President Donald Trump’s offer to help Afghans stranded in the United Arab Emirates is a “welcome surprise.”
“His words — `I will try to save them, starting right now’ — could mean the difference between life and death for the brave Afghan men, women and children currently stuck in the UAE, in Qatar and elsewhere around the world, ” AfghanEvac officials said in a news release.
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Sunday that he “will try to save” Afghans who have been “detained in the United Arab Emirates for years after fleeing their country when the United States pulled out and the Taliban took power.”
“We urge President Trump to follow through on this commitment — not just with a Truth Social post, but with action,” AfghanEvac added. “That means working to immediately secure protections and departures for the Afghans at the Emirates Humanitarian City in UAE and Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, and ensuring they are not deported back into the hands of the Taliban.”
As a nonprofit group formed after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, AfghanEvac describes itself as administering a coalition “focused on deconflicting communications, effort and systemic issues across the full enterprise of efforts focused on helping Afghans evacuate and resettle safely, swiftly and within the bounds of the law.
“It also means addressing the broader pipeline: tens of thousands of U.S.-affiliated Afghans who remain in danger across the globe — from Islamabad to Istanbul, from Albania to Africa — because they believed in America and helped our forces in their hour of need,” they added.
Last month, AfghanEvac said it was “deeply concerned” over federal immigration officials’ arrest and detainment of a former Afghan National Army soldier in Texas. The man, whose name was unavailable, “had previously been granted asylum protections, but those were revoked under the (Trump) administration’s new executive orders,” the group stated.
Shawn VanDiver, AfghanEvac president and board chairman, said earlier that he met with Democratic U.S. Rep. Scott Peters of San Diego regarding the Afghan soldier’s situation.
Trump “has the authority to do the right thing,” the group said. “He should instruct the (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) and the Department of State to expedite processing, push for third-country partnerships and ensure that we never again leave our wartime allies behind.”
AfghanEvac said it welcomes “any step that brings our Afghan allies closer to safety — and we are ready to work with anyone, including the president, to make that happen.”