#Biden admin looking to fast-track Afghan refugee resettlement

The White House is exploring ways to speed up the resettlement process for Afghan refugees, shortening the timeframe to as little as one month, according to new reports. 

The proposed changes would allow Afghan refugees to be screened, vetted and approved to be sent to the US within 30 days of their arrival at a resettlement facility in Qatar, Axios reported late Tuesday. Typically, it takes anywhere from two to five years for refugees to be resettled in America.

The changes are being weighed by the White House, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security as the administration approaches a February deadline to move thousands of refugees off American military bases where they have been temporarily housed since leaving Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August. 

Currently, the US mainly uses humanitarian parole to push rapid resettlement. However, the process has limitations and does not guarantee a special immigrant visa, asylum or green card after two years. 

Following the expedited process in Qatar, refugees would be put directly on a track to obtaining legal permanent residence. 

The report about the changes emerged after the White House announced President Biden would meet next week with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in part to thank him for ensuring “safe transit from Afghanistan of US citizens, lawful permanent residents, and Afghan partners.”

Similar fast-track programs have been implemented by the US before. In 2016, the Obama administration used a similar process to clear 10,000 refugees in 12 weeks, according to the report. 

Refugee resettlements in the US have drastically slowed in recent years, largely due to the policies of the Trump administration. Former President Donald Trump lowered the cap for refugee administration each year he was in office. In 2021, admissions hit a record low of 15,000. 

A National Security Council spokesperson slammed the Trump administration for the “broken system” that has led to so many delays in the resettlement process. 

“The Biden Administration has surged resources and forged creative solutions to vet, screen, and process SIV [Special Immigrant Visa] applicants at an unprecedented pace — despite inheriting a broken system from the previous administration that had not even conducted interviews for SIV applicants in over 300 days and a refugee resettlement program that had been systematically dismantled,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News.

As the current administration looks to expedite the arrival of refugees from Afghanistan, they are also considering revamping the entire resettlement process.

A White House official told Axios that the administration is considering 90-day and 120-day processes to ensure faster resettlement for refugees from around the world.

The Biden administration has been repeatedly criticized for the chaotic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan last year — particularly for the inability to evacuate all American citizens and Afghan allies from the war-torn nation before its own deadline. 

While the US has evacuated more than 76,000 Afghans to the US, approximately 2,500 more are waiting at different transit facilities overseas, Axios reported. 

The White House and National Security Council did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.