A court in the United States temporarily halted the US government's decision to revoke the temporary protected status of Afghans in the US.
This gives at least another week for thousands of Afghans who risk being deported to return to Afghanistan - a country controlled by the Taliban.
The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, placed an administrative stay on the decision to end temporary protected status for Afghans, delaying it until July 21.
This measure came after a request from the organization CASA, which protects the rights of immigrants.
CASA filed an emergency application on July 14, the very day that protection status for Afghans was expected to end.
The court did not give any reason for its decision, while the US administration has until July 16, 23:59 p.m., to respond.
The US Department of Homeland Security announced on May 12 that temporary protected status for Afghans will expire on July 14.
This decision would affect an estimated 9.000 to 12.000 Afghans currently living and working legally in the United States under this program.
Human rights groups and Afghan refugees themselves sharply criticized the decision, saying it puts the lives of thousands of people at risk and ignores the difficult and dangerous situation that continues in Afghanistan.
The Department of Homeland Security said at the time that the decision to end temporary protected status was made based on its assessment that conditions in Afghanistan "have sufficiently improved" and no longer meet the legal requirements for this status.
Afghan supporters say many of those living in the United States have worked with the US military or other organizations in Afghanistan, putting them at risk of harsh treatment by the Taliban, who are not recognized as a legitimate government by Washington and most of the world.
This fear is based on the major changes that have occurred in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Since then, the Taliban have implemented very strict rules – based on Islamic law – restricting many rights and freedoms, especially for women and girls.
They are no longer allowed to attend secondary education and cannot work in most jobs.
Reports from the UN and human rights organizations show that there are serious human rights violations in Afghanistan.
They include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and public beatings.
These actions are mainly carried out against former government officials and people who are against the regime./REL
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