By Micah Jonah
February 12, 2026
The United States has begun offering payments to Afghans stranded at a camp in Qatar to encourage their voluntary repatriation, a move that has drawn criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups.
The camp, located at the former U.S. Army base Camp As Sayliyah (CAS), has held more than 1,100 Afghans since early last year. Many of the evacuees are women who served alongside U.S. forces during America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan, civilian refugees, and relatives of U.S. service members groups considered at risk if returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Assistant Secretary of State, S. Paul Kapur told lawmakers on Wednesday that around 150 Afghans had already accepted the payments, though their current whereabouts are unclear. Kapur insisted the repatriation is voluntary and that the U.S. is also negotiating third-country relocations for those unwilling to return.
“We are not forcibly repatriating Afghans to Afghanistan. Some have gone of their own volition, but we’re not forcing anybody,” Kapur said.
However, critics argue that the program is coercive. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee, described the plan as a “betrayal of our Afghan allies.”
Shawn VanDiver, head of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups, disclosed that payments being offered include $4,500 for the main applicant and $1,200 per additional family member. He warned that the promise of relocation to a third country remains uncertain, and that some staff at the facility have pressured residents to accept the offer.
Advocates have urged the U.S. government to ensure safe and voluntary relocation options for all Afghan evacuees before the planned closure of the camp at the end of March.
