Afghanistan Calls Home US-Bound Nationals Stuck in Qatar

(MENAFN) Afghanistan's government on Saturday called on its nationals currently stranded in Qatar while awaiting US visas to return home, asserting that the country is safe and open to all its citizens.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi stated in an official release that Afghan nationals in transit and awaiting travel to the United States had reportedly been instructed to either return to Afghanistan or pursue resettlement in an alternative country.

Balkhi affirmed that Afghanistan "constitutes the shared homeland of all Afghans," extending an invitation to those affected to return "with full confidence and peace of mind," and stressing that no citizen is being compelled to flee for security reasons.

He further noted that those seeking to relocate elsewhere retain the option to do so through "legal and dignified channels" at an appropriate time.

The Foreign Ministry additionally signaled its readiness to coordinate with other nations under bilateral consular frameworks to protect the rights and interests of Afghan citizens living abroad.

The appeal comes as thousands of Afghans have remained in limbo across various transit countries since the Taliban reclaimed power in 2021. Many have been navigating third countries — including Qatar and Pakistan — in pursuit of resettlement visas, particularly to the United States, in a process that has stretched on for years with mounting uncertainty.

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