In the US, President Donald Trump has started a major operation against irregular migrants in the country, launching a mass deportation program across the nation.

But some of the executive orders he signed, which at first sight might not be directly related to migration, also affect people far away from any US territory.

Trump has placed a pause on foreign aid around the world, which has sent many governments into crisis mode, scrambling to try to seek other ways to fund important social projects.

The stop on foreign aid is also affecting over 40,000 Afghan nationals worldwide. The Afghans had already been approved for special US visas, following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, but it appears they have now been left in limbo, some of them in Albania.

The logistics of their evacuation procedures were slated to be financed by the foreign aid budget, which now is no longer accessible. 

Even flights already scheduled from third countries, where Afghans have been waiting several years to be taken to the US, have been scrapped, leaving many completely uncertain about what the future may hold.

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Rejection mere days before resettlement

Ali Amini is one of over 3,200 Afghans who have been taken to Albania for US visa arrangements since the Taliban took over Afghanistan by force.

He had worked as a locksmith for US forces for years and after the Taliban takeover, he and his family had to live in hiding for three years for fear of Taliban reprisals.

After finally receiving the approval to start a new life in the US, Amini arrived in Albania over a month ago to prepare himself, his wife and his three children for the big move.

The family had a flight booked for January 28, and their bags were packed and ready to go, when President Trump halted aid programs last week, including those intended for the resettling of Afghan refugees.

"I don't know if we will ever get on that plane and, if so, whether it will go to Kabul or the United States," Amini told the Reuters news agency in Shengjin in northern Albania.

He said he worries that returning to Afghanistan would put his life in danger. His wife, he says, cried when she learned that they wouldn't be departing for the US as planned.

"If we return, they will kill us because, to the Taliban, we are essentially Americans and their number one enemies, as we worked shoulder to shoulder with the Americans."

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Fearing for their lives

Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the speedy takeover of the Taliban, thousands of Afghan nationals found themselves in grave danger overnight.

Those who worked for the US military or other organizations in the 20 years since the NATO-led invasion of Afghanistan could face serious reprisals by the Taliban.

Many evacuated immediately, but others were left behind and have been facing lengthy procedures to qualify for a permit to leave the country and move to the US.

Those who eventually got the green light were typically first transferred to Albania for processing before traveling to the United States weeks later — until now.

Nearly 200,000 Afghans have been resettled in the US until Trump put a stop to the program.

Decline in human rights

The UN mission in Afghanistan says that the Taliban have detained, tortured, and killed former soldiers and officials working with the previous US-backed government. 

The Taliban deny these allegations, saying they had issued a general amnesty for former troops and government officials.

With a media blackout in the country, it is uncertain to what extent Afghans who worked with foreign forces in the past continue to suffer persecution; however, the country's overall human rights record has dipped since the Taliban takeover, with women's rights in particular practically eroded.

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No clear strategy in Albania

Meanwhile, Trump has also halted the US Refugee Admissions Program altogether for at least three months to assess whether the resumption of the program is in the interest of the US.

This means that even if aid funds were to become available again to move Afghans from Albania, and other places, to the US, the reception program would probably still be on hold.

If and when the programs resume, there is still the question of what will happen to those who fail to qualify for a visa after being interviewed by US officials in Albania.

According to local reports, several have been told to embrace a future in Albania and just integrate there. 

But Albania has not specified yet how long Afghans might be welcome. The government initially agreed to house Afghans only for one year before their transfer to the US, but later agreed to keep them longer if their visas applications ran into problems.

However, no more details have since been discussed, and so thousands of Afghans are once again facing uncertainty and doubt.

With Reuters