WASHINGTON: The United States assured Afghans on Tuesday that the reunification of Afghan children who remain separated from their parents abroad remained a top priority for the Biden administration.

On Sept 25, the US Department of State released an updated version of the Family Reunification Form, which allows Afghan parolees under the age of 18, who entered the United States without their parents, to apply for relocation of their parents and eligible siblings still living overseas. “The United States has an enduring commitment to the people of Afghanistan,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

The United States, he said, would also continue its efforts to provide information and tools to those individuals seeking to reunite with their family members. “Family reunification remains an extremely high priority for Afghans themselves and for the communities who care about them,” the US official added.

The Cradle, a US news magazine which focuses on such issues, reported that hundreds of Afghan children had been separated from their parents during the US troop withdrawal and were now alone in the United States. Their families remain in Afghanistan and have little hope of being able to reunite with the children. The US Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) issued a statement on Sept 10, stating that more than 230 Afghan children were “alone and wandering the streets of the United States.”

The children are family members of Afghan citizens who helped foreign soldiers during the US-led occupation of the country and fear reprisals after the unexpected Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021.

Following the withdrawal of the last US serviceman from Afghanistan, many families decided to disperse as much as possible in order to escape the Taliban’s rule. As a result of this decision, more than 1,500 children fled to the United States without their guardians.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2023