 U.S.
cannot say how many Afghan refugees it has received, situation 'fluid'
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[August 25, 2021]
By Andrea Shalal and Ted Hesson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A senior U.S.
official on Tuesday could not say how many Afghans have been evacuated
to the United States, adding that the situation remains "fluid" because
of the swiftness of the operation.
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 Pressed to provide numbers, the official said the U.S. government
was "moving as quickly as we can to get them out of harm's way."
"I don't have exact numbers for you right now or a breakdown," the
official told reporters during a phone briefing. "Even if I did, it
would shift as this process continues."
President Joe Biden's administration has scrambled to evacuate U.S.
citizens and Afghan allies amid the chaos at Kabul airport ahead of
an Aug. 31 deadline https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-says-no-evacuation-extension-g7-meets-afghan-crisis-2021-08-24
for U.S. forces to pull out of Afghanistan.
In the rush, the Biden administration has not said exactly how many
Afghans have been allowed to enter the United States, a figure that
could show the country's commitment to resettling vulnerable Afghans
but also potentially fuel concerns that Afghans could be entering
the country without adequate security vetting.
Flights have arrived in the United States in recent days carrying
U.S. citizens and Afghans.
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 After being tested for the
coronavirus upon arrival, Americans can head to
their homes, while others will go to a variety
of U.S. military bases, where they will receive
assistance in applying for work authorization,
the senior official said on Tuesday.
The arriving Afghans will be connected with refugee resettlement
organizations, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss
internal government operations.
Other Afghans evacuated by the United States have been sent to
third-country transit points in Europe and Asia, the official said.
U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism officials are carrying out
"robust security processing" before those evacuees are allowed to
enter the United States, including biometric and biographical
checks, the official said.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by
Ross Colvin and Grant McCool)
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