DUBAI: Qatar has asked the United States to relocate Afghan evacuees living in Doha by September 29, 2026, under a temporary hosting agreement that has now been extended.
According to diplomatic documents released by the US State Department, both countries have agreed to continue the arrangement until 2026, but Qatar has stressed that it must remain temporary.
The agreement covers Afghan nationals evacuated after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
They are being housed at Camp As Sayliyah, near Doha, while waiting for resettlement in the US or other countries. More than 1,100 evacuees are currently at the facility.
The documents show Qatar has asked Washington to settle the status of all evacuees already in the camp and has requested that no new Afghan evacuees be sent to its territory.
Camp As Sayliyah was used as a key transit centre during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 when thousands of Afghans were processed for resettlement abroad.
The original agreement was signed in 2023 and extended once in 2024 before the latest extension.
Under the deal, responsibility for relocating evacuees after the deadline lies with the United States.
