Visas set for 4,000 Afghan interpreters who helped U.S., but many left behind

Congress is poised to approve visas for 4,000 more Afghan interpreters who aided the U.S. in the war on terror, but thousands of translators will remain in harm’s way due to a shortage of the entry authorizations.

About 12,000 Afghan translators have applied for a visa under a program Congress designed as a way to both thank them and help them escape often-dangerous situations, where attacks retaliating against them for helping the Americans have cost many their lives.

Katie Reisner, the policy director of the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, said leaving behind a translator is one of the biggest regrets for U.S. troops returning from tours of duty. 

In addition to the 12,000 applications, there could be others who are eligible but have not applied, she said.

As the U.S. war effort has wound down in recent years, the push to get applications approved has grown. In 2010 and 2011 only 37 Afghans were approved for visas, according to State Department statistics. But in fiscal year 2013 that number rose to nearly 700 and to nearly 3,500 in fiscal year 2014, which ended Sept. 30.  

Still, the visas take a while to approve, and a backlog has built up. The State Department initially asked for 8,000 total visas to last through the end of 2016. But lawmakers settled on 4,000, writing the new cap into their annual defense policy bill, which passed the House last week and will be voted on in the Senate this week.  Read More at Washington Times