ABU DHABI —
US officials in the UAE met with
Afghans after a protest in Abu Dhabi this week
and discussed their “potential” transfer to the US, an embassy statement said.
اضافة اعلان
The UAE was one of
several
Arab Gulf countries that assisted with the evacuation of Afghans
fleeing the Taliban after the group seized power in August last year following
a US military withdrawal.
Videos circulating
on social media this week showed Afghan men protesting in the Emirates
Humanitarian City in the capital
Abu Dhabi, where many who were evacuated to
the UAE now live.
The US embassy
said that it was aware of the “peaceful demonstration” to express “concerns
about future resettlement and processing for onward travel”.
US officials had
met some of the Afghans and discussed their “processing for potential entry in
the US”, according to a statement sent to AFP on Saturday.
“We continue to
conduct the screening and vetting of vulnerable Afghans prior to their arrival
in the US, consistent with the dual goals of protecting national security and
providing protection for vulnerable Afghans,” it added.
The
Taliban takeover of Afghanistan sparked a chaotic exit for the Americans and their
allies after 20 years in the country, and an exodus of Afghans fearing a return
to the brutal regime of 1996 to 2001 when the group was first in power.
The Taliban have
promised a softer rule and are under pressure from the international community
to respect human rights as they engage in talks to secure aid.
But they have also
cracked down on dissent, and provincial authorities have imposed restrictions
on women, issuing guidelines on how they should live.
The UAE was one of only
three countries to recognize the previous Taliban rule.
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