Biden Says Groups Welcoming Afghan Refugees to ‘Their New Home’ Exemplify ‘The Best of America’
President Joe Biden on Sunday said that America will “welcome these Afghans who have helped us in the war effort over the last 20 years to their new home in the United States of America because that’s who we are.”
In a press conference, Biden reaffirmed his commitment to evacuating both Afghan refugees and Americans from Afghanistan, following the U.S. military withdrawal. He noted that since July, the U.S. has evacuated “approximately 33,000 persons.”
Biden acknowledged that the Kabul evacuation would be “hard and painful, no matter when it started.”
“There’s no way to evacuate this many people without pain and loss of heartbreaking images you see on television. It’s just a fact,” he added.
The president went on to outline the evacuation procedures in place for Afghans who assisted the U.S. military and are awaiting approval of their applications for Special Immigrant Visas.
He said “processing centers” have been set up in several countries including in Qatar, Germany, Kuwait, and Spain.
“These transit centers provide a safe place for the SIV applicants and other vulnerable Afghanis and their families to complete their paperwork while we conduct security screenings and background checks before they continue on to their final destination in the United States or another country, one of our NATO allies as well,” Biden said.
“As this effort unfolds, I want to be clear about three things,” Biden said. “One, planes taking off from Kabul are not flying directly to the United States. They’re landing in U.S. Military bases and transit centers around the world. Number two, at these sites where they’re landing, we are conducting thorough scrutiny, security screening for everyone who is not a U.S. Citizen or a lawful permanent resident. Anyone arriving in the United States will have undergone a background check.”
“Number three, once screened and cleared, we will welcome these Afghans who have helped us in the war effort over the last 20 years to their new home in the United States of America,” he continued. “Because that’s who we are. That’s what America is.”
Biden then said he was “touched” by organizations across the U.S. that are supporting the evacuation efforts.
“You know, I’ve been touched by the outpouring of support that we’ve seen from community organizations across America mobilizing to support these efforts,” he said. “So many of these Afghans stood bravely by U.S. Troops in Afghanistan, and now the United States — including veterans groups, refugee settlement agencies, business organizations and so many others — are standing with our Afghan allies. It exemplifies the best of America.”
Watch above, via Fox News.
