An evangelical refugee resettlement organization has voiced strong opposition to a reported plan by the Trump administration to relocate Afghan allies to Central Africa.
World Relief, a leading evangelical aid agency, criticized the proposal to send more than 1,000 Afghans — many of whom supported U.S. military operations during the war in Afghanistan — to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A report published Tuesday by The New York Times, citing an aid worker familiar with the situation, detailed the administration’s alleged plan involving Afghans currently housed at Camp As Sayliyah in Doha.
Those affected include former interpreters who worked with U.S. forces, members of Afghan Special Operations units, and relatives of American service members.
Many of these individuals have remained in Qatar for over a year after being evacuated during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was followed by the Taliban regaining control of the country.
Although they were initially expected to be resettled in the United States, refugee admissions — including those involving Afghans — were largely suspended after President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
The administration also introduced a policy requiring additional interviews for refugees who had previously been cleared under the prior administration, citing security concerns after an Afghan national admitted during the Biden administration was accused of killing a National Guard member in Washington, D.C., last November. A visa ban affecting Afghans was also implemented.
According to the report, Afghan refugees in Qatar may be given a choice between relocation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo or returning to Afghanistan.
“If these reports are accurate, the administration is considering sending hundreds of individuals from Afghanistan — the top country of origin for refugees resettled to the United States last year — to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the number two country of origin for refugees resettled to the United States in fiscal year 2025,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief, which operates under the National Association of Evangelicals.
World Relief is among several nonprofit organizations that partner with the U.S. State Department to assist in refugee resettlement efforts.
Greene sharply criticized the reported proposal, describing it as “cruel and shortsighted,” while emphasizing that “Afghans who risked their lives to stand alongside the U.S. military were promised protection.”
“To abandon them now — either to the Taliban forces whom they fled or to a separate country beset by war, conflict and extreme poverty — is morally wrong, and I hope and pray that the administration will not pursue this reported plan,” Greene said.
He added that the organization’s long-standing work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has given it direct insight into the country’s humanitarian challenges.
“Having operated in the DRC for roughly 25 years in partnership with local churches, World Relief has a firsthand perspective on the stark humanitarian challenges facing the country. The DRC, which has been plagued by conflict and war for decades, needs the prayers and support of the American people, not additional refugees from an entirely separate conflict.”
