Washington DC - The government of the United States (US) stated that about 100 of its citizens and those with permanent US President status are still in Afghanistan. The US says they are ready to leave Afghanistan, but are still waiting for time to be evacuated.
As reported by Reuters, Tuesday (28/9/2021), this was said by a senior US State Department official, who did not want to be named.
The senior official said the US State Department was working to get the men on a flight out of Afghanistan, which is now controlled by the Taliban.
"Our highest priority in Afghanistan, of course, remains to help Americans who want to leave the country now, to do so," the senior US official said.
About 124,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan after the US-backed government collapsed last month and the Taliban took power.
Since US troops withdrew and left Kabul airport on August 31, according to the senior US official, there have been 85 US citizens and 79 US permanent residents who have left Afghanistan on sporadic flights.
However, according to the US official, some US citizens do not want to leave Afghanistan without their families who do not have the required travel documents to enter US territory.
The senior US State Department official stressed that US authorities will immediately intensify efforts to help family members of US citizens who do not have the required documents.
But the same would not be done for members of their 'large' family, which could include many people.
"I fully understand how painful that choice is for them, but as a matter of law and policy, at this stage, we are not providing support for the expedited departure and resettlement in the United States of members of extended American families," he said.
