8,000 additional US visas for vulnerable Afghans approved by Congress

Washington [US] July 23 (ANI): US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to allot eight thousand more Special Immigration Visas (SIVs) to interpreters, contractors, and other vulnerable Afghans who have worked with the US army in the war-torn country.

The bill comes as the White House intends to evacuate 2,500 SIV applicants directly to the US and 10,000 more to third countries and military bases overseas, The Khaama Press reported.

The White House also plans to evacuate 750 SIV applicants and their family members who have completed security vetting to Fort Lee military base in Virginia while another four thousand applicants will be relocated to a safe third country where their paperwork will be reviewed.

Recently, Sohail Pardis, an Afghan interpreter who worked for the US Army was beheaded by the Taliban. Pardis was one of the thousands of Afghan interpreters who worked for the US military and now face persecution by the Taliban, as the group gains control of parts of the country. (ANI)