Trump Vows to Help Afghan Refugees Stranded in UAE

President Donald Trump has pledged to assist Afghan refugees who have been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for years after fleeing Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban's return to power.

Despite his administration’s tough stance on immigration—including the suspension of refugee resettlement upon taking office and the termination of temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans earlier this year—Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to express support for the stranded refugees.

“I will try to save them, starting right now,” Trump wrote in a post linking to a report claiming that UAE officials may soon deport some Afghan refugees back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The report was published by the website Just the News, though Reuters has not independently verified its claims. The U.S. State Department has not yet commented.

The UAE agreed in 2021 to temporarily host thousands of Afghans evacuated during the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Kabul. While many were later resettled in the United States and Canada, a number remain in limbo.

Canada accepted about 1,000 of the refugees after a U.S. request in 2022, but the current number still detained in the UAE is unclear.

Meanwhile, other countries have ramped up deportations. According to the United Nations, nearly 2 million Afghans have been forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan over the past seven months. Germany deported 81 Afghan men last Friday, as Europe moves to tighten asylum policies.

In the U.S., Democrats have urged Trump to reinstate temporary protected status (TPS) for Afghans, warning that women, children, and U.S.-affiliated individuals face grave danger under Taliban rule.

Many of those still awaiting resettlement include families of Afghan-American military personnel, children cleared to reunite with parents in the U.S., and tens of thousands who worked for the U.S. government during the 20-year war.

Shawn VanDiver, president of the advocacy group #AfghanEvac, called on Trump to turn his words into action.

“President Trump has the authority to do the right thing,” VanDiver said in a statement. “He should direct DHS and the State Department to expedite processing, pursue third-country partnerships, and ensure we never abandon our wartime allies again.”