U.S. begins paying Afghan refugees in Qatar to return home, veterans and advocates call move a betrayal

Image/Reuters.

The U.S. State Department has started paying Afghans stranded in Qatar to return home, prompting warnings from veterans and advocates about betrayal.

According to Reuters, more than 1,100 Afghans have been stranded at Camp As Sayliyah, a former U.S. Army base in Qatar, since early 2025 after resettlement programs halted under the Trump administration.

The group includes civilian refugees, women who served as U.S. special operations personnel, and family members of U.S. servicemembers...