Sep 1, 2021 - World

Over 20,000 Afghans evacuated from Kabul have arrived in the U.S.

Dave Lawler

People waiting outside Kabul airport. Photo: Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty

The U.S. has flown at least 23,876 Afghans to the U.S. since the Kabul airlift began, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The administration had previously declined to provide any data as to how many of the roughly 123,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan had traveled to the U.S.

Breaking it down: Of the 31,107 evacuees who entered the country between Aug. 17 and Aug. 31, 14% are U.S. citizens, 9% are legal permanent residents and 77% are "Afghans at risk," Price said.

He did not provide a breakdown as to how many of those Afghans were part of the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) pipeline due to their work with U.S. troops. A senior State Department official said earlier on Wednesday that most SIV applicants were unable to get out.
Afghans evacuees are being processed and temporarily housed at seven military bases in the U.S. as well as at cites in the Gulf and in Europe.
Price said the U.S. would continue to try to help those who are still trying to evacuate, with the top priority being the 100-200 remaining U.S. citizens.

Go deeper: Where the U.S. is taking Afghans evacuated from Kabul

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Over 20,000 Afghans evacuated from Kabul have arrived in the U.S.

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