Biden administration creating operation to save Afghan translators, in troop withdrawal

The Biden administration is instituting "Operation Allied Refuge" as a way to relocate the Afghan interpreters and translators who aided the U.S. during its military campaign in Afghanistan and are unsafe after the recent troop withdrawal.

Flights for the thousands of Afghan special immigrant visa (SIV) applicants "who are already in the pipeline will begin in the last week of July," according to a senior administration official. 

The Biden administration has faced backlash from bipartisan lawmakers and advocates for not having done enough to protect the Afghans who helped the U.S military. 

The president vowed last week to "make sure that we take on the Afghan nationals who work side-by-side with US forces, including interpreters and translators," as reported by CNN.

He also said: "Our message to those women and men is clear: There is a home for you in the United States if you so choose, and we will stand with you just as you stood with us."

However, the Biden plan is also facing criticism, as the Islamic militant group the Taliban reemerges and retakes parts of the country. The news about "Operations Allied Refuge" was first reported by Reuters.

"Unfortunately, there are still far too many questions left unanswered, including who exactly and how many people are eligible for evacuation," said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.

Vignarajah and his group are raising concerns about the estimated 49% of interpreters at risk of being attacked living outside the capital city of Kabul, which limits their access to safety, and where they will go.

"We have serious concerns about the protection of our allies' human rights in countries that have been rumored as potential partners in this effort," he also said.

An organization to help Afghan translators and their families move into the United States has raised over $1 million in an attempt to pay for airfare, specifically for the 1,250 Afghans who have already received visas but have yet to depart.

The timing and other details of these flights are unknown for security reasons, as reported by CNN.