Foreign Affairs

House Votes To Grant Refugee Status To Thousands More People Who Helped US Troops In Afghanistan

No featured image available

The House of Representatives voted almost unanimously Thursday to grant refugee status to thousands of Afghan allies who aided American troops in the Afghanistan war.

The ALLIES Act, which passed 407-16, allows for nearly 8,000 more American visas for people that worked with American troops, including guides and translators, the Associated Press reported.

Officials have expressed concern about Taliban retaliating against those who previously aided Americans during the last few weeks of U.S. military withdrawal from the country, according to the AP.

“We cannot do this again. We must not do this again. We must bring back … all the people who were so important to us in combat,” Florida Republican Rep. Neal Dunn said, referring to his service in the Vietnam war and those who were left behind.

Dunn echoed the concerns of many in the armed forces, including some who labeled President Joe Biden’s plan to withdraw “hasty,” The Daily Caller News Foundation reported earlier this month.

“Those Afghans knew the risk that their service posed to them and their families, and yet they signed up to help because they believed that we would have their back,” Democrat Rep. Jason Crow, the lead sponsor of the bill and Afghanistan war veteran, said.

Proud to see the House pass @RepJasonCrow’s Allies Act. This bill will expand the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program & ensure that we protect our partners who worked alongside U.S. military & diplomats in Afghanistan by getting them to safety as soon as possible. #TakeThemToo pic.twitter.com/3D94eUEaeQ

— Steny Hoyer (@LeaderHoyer) July 22, 2021

Almost 26,500 visas have already been allocated to Afghani’s who helped the war effort, AP reported.