Around 800 Afghan refugees are currently housed at Camp As Sayliyah, a US military base near Doha
More than four years after the evacuation of Kabul, hundreds of Afghan evacuees remain stranded at a United States–run military facility in Qatar, caught in legal and humanitarian limbo amid rising regional tensions, according to Drop Site News.
Around 800 Afghan refugees are currently housed at Camp As Sayliyah, a US military base near Doha. Many were transferred to Qatar in 2021 following the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government and were told they would soon be resettled in the United States. Instead, their cases have remained unresolved for years.
As reported by Drop Site News, once transferred to Camp As Sayliyah, evacuees were required to undergo additional security vetting before onward resettlement. For some, the process has extended for several years. Afghans who had previously received approval to travel to the United States under the Biden administration have since seen their cases stalled under the Trump administration.
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The suspension of the Priority 1 and Priority 2 refugee referral programmes has left many families without a clear legal pathway. The programmes were designed to protect Afghans at risk due to their work with Western governments, organisations, or advocacy linked to the former Afghan state.
Evacuees told Drop Site News that daily life inside the camp is defined by worsening living conditions and psychological strain. Housing consists of makeshift rooms without proper roofing, with toilets located far from residential areas. Noise, overcrowding, and lack of privacy have contributed to widespread sleep deprivation.
An Afghan evacuee, who requested anonymity, said anxiety and depression were affecting entire families. Eating patterns have become irregular, with some families skipping meals altogether. Children’s education has also been disrupted, with only informal classes held in open and noisy spaces.
“There is no formal school,” the evacuee said. “Everyone’s anxiety and stress have increased”.
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According to Drop Site News, the prolonged uncertainty has taken a severe psychological toll, particularly on children.
Residents also face growing security concerns as regional tensions rise. Camp As Sayliyah was affected during last year’s conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, when missile debris landed inside the base after an interception.
Mamdouh, a former contractor with the US-backed Afghan government who has lived in the camp since 2022, told Drop Site News that missile fragments fell near residential areas. No injuries were reported, but he said residents fear a repeat incident.
Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, told Drop Site News it was unclear whether Iran was aware that Afghan evacuees were housed at the base. He questioned reports suggesting the facility had been fully evacuated, noting its continued strategic significance.
Evacuees say they were brought to Qatar as civilians under US protection but are now living on what could be considered a military target.
Political developments in Washington have further dimmed hopes of resettlement. Afghan sources and advocacy groups cited by Drop Site News said onward travel to the United States has been halted for many evacuees, while financial incentives for voluntary return to Afghanistan have been offered.
Ruttig said similar offers had previously been made by Germany, with limited uptake. He noted that many Afghans fear returning under Taliban rule amid ongoing reports of intimidation, detention and reprisals against former government employees, journalists and civil society activists.
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Neither the US State Department nor US Central Command responded to requests for comment, Drop Site News reported.
For many evacuees, the sense of abandonment has grown. Families who followed US instructions during the evacuation and were told Qatar was a temporary stop remain dependent on shifting political decisions in Washington.
With visa pathways suspended, timelines unclear, and regional tensions rising, evacuees say their lives continue to be shaped by forces beyond their control.
“Our bodies are here,” one evacuee told Drop Site News, “but our lives are nowhere”.
