Trump Administration Extends Afghan Refugee Camp in Qatar
The United States extended the operation of Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar for nine months to house 1,039 Afghan allies and their families.
The administration of Donald Trump finalized a nine-month extension for Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar on September 30, 2026, preventing the facility's scheduled closure at the end of the U.S. fiscal year. The camp houses 1,039 Afghans, including former interpreters, support staff, and 150 relatives of U.S. service members who assisted the American war effort between 2001 and 2021. More than 70 percent of the residents are women and children.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Congress that the U.S. is negotiating voluntary resettlement in third-party countries, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo cited as one option. The State Department characterized the camp as a legacy of the Joe Biden administration's failure to properly vet refugees. Since October 2025, only five Afghans have been admitted to the U.S. due to executive orders that paused previous resettlement programs and shifted refugee focus toward white South Africans.
Advocates, including the organization AfghanEvac, welcomed the extension but warned that residents face potential forced return to Afghanistan and Taliban reprisal without a permanent solution. With the administration planning to admit 17,500 refugees for fiscal year 2027, advocates are urging the president to include eligible camp residents in the upcoming refugee determination.
