They saved countless American lives but now same Americans have left them to their own fate

 

A emotional story on Afghani Translator By- Shlok Thakur, HYD

Afghan translators no doubt were most crucial things for American soldiers from starting of 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan to this day.  They helped American soldiers talk with locals and their allies to know exact location of Taliban soldiers and terrorists. In Afghanistan accurate translations can be difference between life and death. There was incident in which an Afghani local warned the American soldiers that beyond village there is minefield. This was correctly translated by translator present over there. This is just one example. If you ask any American veterans who has fought in Afghanistan they will tell you that translators risked their own lives to help them. This help automatically makes them the target for insurgents. But now since American soldiers are leaving Afghanistan Taliban will probably kill the translators who have helped Americans. Since they helped Americans, they should be brought to America. But many translators who applied visa are still stuck in bureaucratic limbo. Though the American congress has passed bills in 2008 and 2009 providing visas to afghan nationals who have worked with American soldiers and despite huge demand very few visas have been issued. Americans have the capacity to issue 1500 visas per year but till now they have only issued an average of 3 visas per year. It is like next to impossible for afghan nationals to get US visas. Problem is that applying for special immigrant visa is a 14 step process. Process for special immigrant visa is that first you need to fill a d157 form which contains basic information. Also you need to get a letter from you former military supervisor and your former and current military contractor which can take lot of time. You also need to submit a proof of nationality and a copy of you employee badge. Then you must wait for few months or few years and if you are approved then you go to the stage. For this you need to fill i364 form which is repeat of d157. Next you need to fill ds264 form which contains some very baseless or just ridiculous questions. After this you need a security clearance which can again take several months or years, medical examination and paying for passport and plane seat form your own money then you can finally come to United States. This whole process makes no sense. Though security clearances are necessary America has done it quicker before in the history. At the end of Vietnam War they issued one lakh forty thousand Vietnamese visa to America. They first took them to Guam and then issued visas there. Even when Afghani translators get their visas in most of the cases it’s too late. Let’s look at an example of this. Ali was an afghan translator who filed his application in September 2010 and came America in 2013. But during that time Taliban fighters killed his dad and his brothers. The fighters took his three year old brother and asked for money. He have to spend his life savings to get his brother. 

American president Joe Biden must bring those translators to America because they have no doubt saved countless American lives. Process of bringing them must be done fastly.