U.S. Struggles With Afghan Evacuees Weeded Out, and Now in Limbo

No final decisions have been made, but dozens red-flagged for apparent criminal pasts or links to militants have been sent to a base in Kosovo, where their fate is uncertain.

WASHINGTON — Two months after the evacuation of 80,000 Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover, most have cleared subsequent vetting for admission into the United States. Some initially raised possible security issues — like evacuees who shared a name with terrorism suspects — but were absolved on closer scrutiny.

But several dozen have been red-flagged, despite having helped the United States during its 20-year war in Afghanistan, because screenings uncovered apparent records of violent crime or links to Islamist militants that follow-up evaluations have not cleared, officials said. The derogatory information has raised the question of what to do with them, leaving them in limbo.

The military transferred most of the still-flagged evacuees — some with relatives — to Camp Bondsteel, a NATO base in Kosovo, which agreed to let Afghans be housed there for up to a year if they stayed on the base. They are designated as requiring further investigation, and no final decision has been about whether they will receive permission to enter the United States, officials said.