The US Department of Homeland Security has revoked the temporary protected status (TPS) for Afghanistan and Cameroon, a decision that puts over 14,000 Afghans at risk of deportation.
The Trump administration moved to end legal protections for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians legally living in the United States, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday.
It said the decision would affect approximately 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians.
In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer met the criteria for TPS.
Meanwhile, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the president of the nonprofit Global Refuge, called the revocation of the TPS for Afghans “a morally indefensible betrayal”.
She warned the Afghans could face persecution if they returned to their homeland. Those individuals were able to live in the US under TPS.
The US government typically offers TPS to individuals already in America for whom it may be unsafe to return, at least in the short term, due to conflict, natural disaster or other circumstances.
TPS is generally granted for a period of 6 to 18 months, with the possibility of extensions.
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