Representatives of the U.S. Bishop’s Conference (USCCB) are urging the federal government to act swiftly to help relocate refugees fleeing the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.
“A widespread humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Afghanistan, with the Taliban swiftly seizing control of the capital on August 15,” the bishops state Tuesday on their website.
The bishops go on to note that thousands of people who have worked alongside the United States military over the past twenty years, including interpreters and translators, “find themselves and their families in danger.”
They also underscore the U.S. effort to evacuate diplomats and other U.S. government employees, as well as the cancellation of all commercial flights to and from Kabul’s airport.
Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Migration, and Rockford Bishop David J. Malloy, chairman of the Bishop’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, declare:
We have known that the withdrawal of American forces and evacuation of vulnerable Afghans, including those who supported our military or worked with NGOs and other organizations, would be a complicated process that had the potential for instability in Afghanistan.
“We are particularly concerned for all those requiring evacuation, as well as Afghan women and girls, who risk losing opportunities gained over the last two decades and now face potential mistreatment,” they add.
“The government’s goal to relocate as many as 30,000 SIV applicants to the United States remains a monumental task that hangs in the balance,” the bishops declare. “We know that time is of the essence to help our brothers and sisters in need, and we call on our government to act with the utmost urgency, considering all available avenues to preserve life,” they state.
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