By: Naweed Yousufi
Kauser News Agency – Counterintelligence Department
Date: May 31, 2025
Following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, tens of thousands of individuals were evacuated to the United States under Operation Allies Welcome. While the intent was to rescue vulnerable Afghans—primarily former interpreters, civil society activists, and U.S.-affiliated personnel—the Kauser News Agency Counterintelligence Department has conducted a multi-year investigation into the profiles of evacuees and asylum seekers.
Our findings suggest that a significant percentage of those evacuated or later granted asylum were not Afghan citizens, or they held dual or foreign citizenship from countries such as the United Kingdom, Turkey, Russia, and various European nations. These individuals either possessed permanent residency in other nations or carried passports from countries that were not experiencing conflict, thus raising questions about the legitimacy of their emergency evacuation to the United States.
On August 15, 2021, amid the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan, thousands of individuals rushed to the Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul. The U.S. military, under international pressure and facing imminent deadlines, began a mass evacuation that lacked consistent vetting mechanisms.
Initial reports indicated that evacuees were being processed rapidly without thorough checks due to the urgency of the situation. This created a loophole that was exploited by non-Afghan nationals or Afghans with foreign protection statuses.
Key Findings
1. Presence of Dual Nationals and Foreign Citizens
Through meticulous analysis of flight manifests, interviews, and indirect communication, the Counterintelligence Department found that many evacuees held:
- UK passports
- Russian passports
- Turkish citizenship
- European permanent resident cards (from Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, etc.)
- United Arab Emirates (Dubai) residency permits
These individuals were able to enter HKIA through the civilian airport section, joining the evacuation efforts despite not being the intended recipients of U.S. humanitarian aid. Many arrived in the U.S. under the guise of being vulnerable Afghans.
2. Manipulation of the Evacuation Pipeline
On August 15, 2021, five documented commercial flights en route to Dubai and Turkey were carrying individuals who, upon hearing of the U.S. evacuation, rerouted themselves to the military side of HKIA. These individuals entered KAIA using civilian paths and gained unauthorized access to military flights heading to Qatar and onward to the U.S.
Once in the United States, many received up to six months of subsidized housing and cash assistance, all funded by U.S. taxpayer money.
3. Entry Through Third Countries and Asylum Claims
Another notable group of Afghans—most with European PR cards or Turkish/Russian citizenship—entered the United States via Brazil and Mexico. These individuals:
- Traveled legally to Latin America using their second nationality or PR documents.
- Crossed into the U.S. through the southern border.
- Applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Asylum, claiming persecution in Afghanistan.
Despite having foreign protection or residency elsewhere, they were processed as vulnerable Afghan refugees. These asylum applications raise serious concerns about asylum fraud and misrepresentation.
Attempts at Accountability
Kauser News Agency made repeated attempts to contact individuals from this group to clarify their immigration history and provide them the opportunity to share their side of the story. However, none responded to official interview requests or communication attempts.
Our team is willing to share all collected documentation, manifests, case files, and interviews with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other relevant immigration enforcement agencies.
- Retrospective Vetting:
DHS and USCIS should conduct retrospective reviews of all Afghan evacuees’ documentation, including cross-checking with Interpol and foreign residency databases. - Data Exchange with Allies:
The U.S. should coordinate with Turkey, the UAE, the UK, and EU countries to identify evacuees with pre-existing protection status or citizenship in those nations. - Criminal and Immigration Fraud Investigation:
Cases involving false statements, concealment of second nationalities, or manipulation of asylum processes should be referred to federal investigative authorities. - Policy Reform:
Future humanitarian evacuations must include pre-screening, biometric data comparison, and stringent documentation requirements—even under emergency conditions.
The findings of the Kauser News Agency Counterintelligence Department suggest that significant gaps in the 2021 Afghan evacuation allowed individuals with questionable eligibility to enter and remain in the United States. While many genuinely at-risk Afghans were left behind, a number of foreign citizens, dual nationals, and PR holders from safe countries exploited the system, undermining the integrity of the U.S. immigration process.
Kauser News Agency stands ready to cooperate with federal agencies in ensuring national security and protecting the asylum system from abuse.
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