Afghan Students in Qatar Fear Return Amid Aid and Visa Cutoffs

With the U.S. administration suspending refugee admissions and aid, Afghan students studying in Qatar express anxiety about what awaits them should they be forced to return to their homeland, where their rights and education are under threat from the Taliban.

In a corner of Doha, Qatar, Nilab, a 30-year-old student from Afghanistan, grapples with a relentless stream of anxiety as she looks toward an uncertain future. Since fleeing her war-torn homeland, where the Taliban have imposed strict limitations on women's rights and education, she has sought solace in her studies at the American University of Afghanistan’s campus-in-exile. Here, she immerses herself in cybersecurity, armed with a hope for a better future.

However, that hope now feels increasingly fragile. Following President Trump’s recent executive order halting refugee resettlement and foreign aid, students like Nilab fear they may soon be forced back to Afghanistan, where their dreams of education and equality could be crushed. As she jots down her worries on slips of paper and pins them on her dorm wall in Doha, each note symbolizes her fear of the consequences awaiting her at home.

Nilab and her classmates, who had placed their trust in America’s promises of refugee status and support, now feel abandoned. The reminder of their precarious position is ever-present, with echoes of the Taliban’s brutal regime where women face potential persecution, including violence, forced marriages, and the threat of death for merely pursuing an education.

“I can’t even imagine going back,” Nilab confesses, her voice trembling as she reflects on the harsh reality that could await her. She envisions herself isolated and stripped of the rights she fought so hard to achieve—and is terrified of the fate that could befall her and her peers who dreamed of a brighter future away from the oppression of the Taliban.

As the landscape shifts under the weight of political decisions, students continue to rally for their right to education, hoping that the international community will not forget their plight and the inherent human rights that have been dismissed at home. In a world rife with challenges, the struggle of these Afghan students serves as a sobering reminder of the urgent need for support and awareness of their ongoing battle for education and safety.