Task Force Argo connects Afghans to flights out of Afghanistan and said that it has run out of money.
According to Wall Street Journal, the volunteer group now asks Afghans to return home.
Fearing poverty and human rights, Afghans have fled Afghanistan for months.
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The Wall Street Journal reported that a volunteer group that provided shelter for Afghans in desperate need of a way to escape Taliban-run Afghanistan is now out of cash.
Task Force Argo has ordered hundreds of Afghans in crisis to return home because it is no longer able provide assistance for fleeing Afghans. Task Force Argo provided flights to Afghanistan for several months following the Taliban takeover. The Journal reported that the group is now forced to take drastic measures, such as sending out Afghans who want to leave the country, because they have no financial support.
Further complicating the efforts of the Task Force Argo is the fact that the US has yet to approve the departures. The Journal was told by Task Force Argo leaders that three flights are ready to depart but have not yet been cleared to land by the US. The Journal reported that several countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, and Albania have accepted to host the passengers, but only after approval by the US government.
In August, the Taliban overthrew President Joe Biden's decision that US troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan. The Taliban took over Afghanistan and renamed it the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This is the same name as when the Taliban was in power in 1996. After the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan until 2001.
Afghanistan saw several development gains after the US removed the Taliban from power. These included a doubling of per-capita income and an increase of the average education level. Experts predict that Afghanistan will fall into universal poverty in the next year due to the Taliban's resurgence.
These factors are driving out Afghans. However, the financial support that Task Force Argo does not provide is limiting Afghan escape routes.
According to the Journal, Task Force Argo sent Afghans away. They will have to fund and find their own accommodation and hope to fly out of Afghanistan.
A spokesperson for Task Force Argo stated that they are volunteers. Insider asked for comment from the State Department but they did not respond immediately. According to the spokesperson, there is no one on the ground who can vet passenger lists so it is difficult to determine if those fleeing are eligible to be relocated.
According to the Journal, the spokesperson stated that this puts individual travelers at risk if they have no plans to relocate to the United States. It also damages the bilateral relationship between the United States and the destination countries. This makes it harder for the U.S. government not to rely on these partner countries for future relocations out Afghanistan.
