Latest news with #visa
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Afghan translator who worked for US military detained by Ice in Connecticut
An Afghan wartime translator granted a US immigration visa after risking his life to help US troops has been detained by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents, in the latest sign that the Trump administration is willing to flout legal agreements and promises to allies in pursuit of its unprecedented immigration crackdown. Identified only as Zia S, the 35-year-old husband and father of five who entered the US in October 2024 with a visa issued by American authorities was arrested and taken away in a van last week after a routine biometrics appointment for his green card in East Hartford, Connecticut, according to his attorney, members of Congress and human-rights advocates. A judge has issued a temporary stay preventing Zia's removal from the United States, but he remains in detention at a facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The former wartime interpreter fled Afghanistan with his family after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Zia legally entered the US in October 2024 through JFK airport with humanitarian parole – and an approved special immigrant visa (SIV). This visa is a pathway to permanent residency, or a green card, for certain foreign nationals who have worked for the US government or military in specific capacities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. 'What happened to him is the worst kind of abhorrent violation of basic decency,' said the Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on Tuesday. 'He actually worked and risked his life in Afghanistan to uphold the values and rights that are central to democracy.' Zia is the third known Afghan ally who helped US troops to have been seized by Ice since Trump returned to power, amid growing outrage at the administration's actions. Jahana Hayes, a Democratic member of Congress for Connecticut, said she had been contacted by Zia's family because they didn't know where Ice had taken him. 'Our credibility is at stake. We have families who have risked everything not just for themselves, but for their entire family … in the name of standing up for the promises of our American democracy,' Hayes said. In a statement to Reuters, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the Afghan national entered the US on 8 October 2024, and is under investigation for a 'serious criminal allegation', adding: 'All of his claims will be heard by a judge. Any Afghan who fears persecution is able to request relief.' Zia's attorney Lauren Petersen said she had no idea what the DHS was referring to. 'Zia has done everything right. He's followed the rules. He has no criminal history,' said Petersen, adding that he was approved for humanitarian parole due to a direct threat from Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. 'If he is deported … he faces death.' Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion More than 70,000 Afghans were granted permission to enter the US under Joe Biden's 'Operation Allies Welcome' initiative, which followed the bungled America exit and subsequent Taliban takeover in 2021. Some, like Zia, have a SIV and pathway to permanent residency, while about 12,000 or so have temporary protected status (TPS) – a type of work visa granted to people already in the US who cannot return to their home countries due to armed conflicts, natural disasters or other extraordinary events. The Trump administration is seeking to terminate TPS status for multiple countries including Venezuela, Haiti and Afghanistan – despite ongoing unstable and dangerous conditions in those countries.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
State Dept. Opens Investigation Into Harvard's Use of International Visas
The Trump administration has opened a new investigation into Harvard University's compliance with a government-run visa program for international students and professors, targeting the elite college with the third aggressive action since the two sides restarted talks to end their acrimonious dispute. Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Dr. Alan M. Garber, the president of Harvard, of the investigation in a letter on Wednesday, according to a copy of the correspondence reviewed by The New York Times. Mr. Rubio did not refer to any specific allegation of wrongdoing and instead said the inquiry was necessary 'to assist the department in meeting its policy objectives.' The investigation targets the university's participation in the Exchange Visitor Program, which is designed to promote cultural and educational programs with visas for a variety of applicants, including students and professors as well as researchers, interns and au pairs. Mr. Rubio gave Harvard a one-week deadline to produce a lengthy list of university records related to the student visa program. He said the department plans to interview university staff associated with the program and also may want to speak with visa holders. A Harvard spokesman did not immediately comment. A State Department spokeswoman declined to comment. Officials from Harvard and the Trump administration have exchanged multiple offers since last month as they have explored a potential deal over the government's role in admissions, hiring and curriculum. The details of the negotiations remain unclear as talks continue. Since those talks started, the Education and Health and Human Services Departments opened a challenge to the university's accreditation, which could someday jeopardize the ability of Harvard students to receive federal student aid. And U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has served subpoenas to Harvard with sprawling demands that included payroll records, years of disciplinary files and any videos Harvard had of international students protesting on campus since 2020. Mr. Rubio has also become increasingly involved in President Trump's pressure campaign on Harvard and with the administration's campaign around higher education more broadly. Mr. Rubio has privately pressed for his counterparts at the Treasury Department to open an investigation into whether Harvard violated federal sanctions by collaborating on a health insurance conference in China that may have included officials blacklisted by the U.S. government. The State Department has started screening social media accounts of student visa applicants. Mr. Rubio has also stated that the State Department would target visas held by Chinese students, an initiative complicated by Mr. Trump's announcement that Chinese students are welcome to study in America as part of his trade deal with Beijing.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Travelling to Trump's US is a low-level trauma – here's what Africans can do about it
Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. This week, I reflect on the increasing difficulty of travel and immigration for many from the African continent, and how one country is plotting a smoother path. I have just come back from holiday, and I'm still not used to how different travel is when not using an African passport. My British citizenship, which I acquired about five years ago, has transformed not only my ability to travel at short notice but it has eliminated overnight the intense stress and bureaucratic hurdles involved in applying for visas on my Sudanese passport. It is difficult to explain just how different the lives of those with 'powerful' passports are to those without. It is an entirely parallel existence. Gaining permission to travel to many destinations is often a lengthy, expensive and sickeningly uncertain process. A tourist visa to the UK can cost up to £1,000, in addition to the fee for private processing centres that handle much of Europe's visa applications abroad. And then there is the paperwork: bank statements, employment letters, academic records, certified proof of ownership of assets, and birth and marriage certificates if one is travelling to visit family. This is a non-exhaustive list. For a recent visa application for a family member, I submitted 32 documents. It may sound dramatic but such processes instil a sort of low-level trauma, after submitting to the violation of what feels like a bureaucratic cavity search. And all fees, whatever the decision, are non-refundable. Processing times are in the hands of the visa gods – it once took more than six months for me to receive a US visa. By the time it arrived, the meeting I needed to attend for work had passed by a comically long time. Separation and severed relationships It's not only travel for work or holiday that is hindered by such high barriers to entry. Relationships suffer. It is simply a feature of the world now that many families in the Black diaspora sprawl across continents. Last month Trump restricted entry to the US to nationals from 20 countries, half of which are in Africa. The decision is even crueler when you consider that it applies to countries such as Sudan, whose civil war has prompted many to seek refuge with family abroad. That is not just a political act of limiting immigration, it is a deeply personal one that severs connections between families, friends and partners. Family members of refugees from those countries have also been banned, so they can't visit relatives who have already managed to emigrate. The International Rescue Committee warned the decision could have 'far-reaching impacts on the lives of many American families, including refugees, asylees and green card holders, seeking to be reunified with their loved ones'. A global raising of barriers The fallout of this Trump order is colossal. There are students who are unable to graduate. Spouses unable to join their partners. Children separated from their parents. It's a severe policy, but shades of it exist elsewhere by other means. The UK recently terminated the rights of foreign care workers and most international students to bring their children and partners to the country. And even for those who simply want to have their family visit them, access is closed to all except those who can clear the high financial hurdles and meet the significant burdens of proof to show that either they can afford to maintain their visitors or that they will return to their home countries. Sign up to The Long Wave Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world after newsletter promotion It was 10 years before I – someone with fairly stable employment and a higher-education qualification – satisfied the Home Office's requirements and could finally invite my mother to visit. I broke down when I saw her face at arrivals, realising how hard it had been for both of us; the fact that she had not seen the life I had built as an adult. Compare this draconian measure to some countries in the Gulf, such as Saudi Arabia, that have an actual visa category, low-cost and swiftly processed, for parental visits and residency. A new African model But as some countries shut down, others are opening up. This month, Kenya removed visa requirements for almost all African citizens wanting to visit. Here, finally, there is the sort of regional solidarity that mirrors that of the EU and other western countries. Since it boosts African tourism and makes Kenya an inviting destination for people to gather at short notice for professional or festive reasons, it's a smart move. But it also sends an important signal to a continent embattled by visa restrictions and divided across borders set by colonial rule. We are not just liabilities, people to be judged on how many resources they might take from a country once allowed in. We are also tourists, friends, relatives, entrepreneurs and, above all, Africans who have the right to meet and mingle without the terror, and yes, contempt, of a suspicious visa process. If the African diaspora is being separated abroad, there is at least now a path to the option that some of us may reunite at home. To receive the complete version of The Long Wave in your inbox every Wednesday, please subscribe here.
The National
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
UAE arrests 32,000 over six months in visa overstay crackdown
More than 32,000 people were arrested for flouting UAE visa rules in the first half of the year under a renewed crackdown launched following the end of a nationwide amnesty campaign. About 70 per cent of those held for breaches of entry and residency rules between January and the end of June were subsequently deported, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) said on Tuesday. Authorities had previously warned that enforcement action would be stepped up after the four-month visa amnesty drive, which ran from September 1 to December 31. Maj Gen Suhail Al Khaili, director general of the ICP, said the inspection campaigns would continue, in an effort to ensure all sections of society abide by the law. He said visa offenders and others assisting them would face legal action and financial fines if caught out and urged employers against hiring illegal workers. Why was amnesty campaign important? The government's visa amnesty aimed to offer a reprieve to people living in the country without valid documentation, who may be reluctant to come forward due to fears over being jailed or fined. It gave them a crucial grace period to settle their legal status or leave the country without facing legal action or heavy financial penalties. It is also an opportunity for many to step out of the shadows and grasp the chance of a fresh start – whether in the UAE or back in their home country. There are several reasons why people may try to remain in the country without valid documentation. Although some may be seeking to evade detection, others will have lost jobs and businesses or split from a spouse, leaving them without a sponsor. More than 236,000 people living in Dubai alone without valid residency documentation benefited from the UAE government's visa amnesty drive, officials said before the close of the scheme. What are the visa rules? Most residents living or working in the UAE have a two or three-year visa in their passport. That has since been replaced with the Emirates ID. In April 2022, visa changes were introduced by the UAE Cabinet and more categories were added. This included an expansion of golden visas and the introduction of green visas, with several of the new categories aimed at self-employed people and business owners. The new rules came into effect in September that year. What are the overstay fines? The financial penalty has been standardised at Dh50 a day for tourists or residents who overstay their visas, following updates by the ICP in October 2022.
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ministers urged to help students trapped in Gaza with places at UK universities
Pressure is mounting on ministers to intervene on behalf of 40 students in Gaza who have been offered full scholarships to study at UK universities, but are unable to take up their places this September because of government red tape. A high-level meeting is understood to have taken place at the Home Office on Tuesday after MPs and campaigners highlighted the students' plight, calling on ministers to take action to help secure their safe passage to the UK. Some students are reported to have been killed while waiting, while others are said to be in constant danger. Campaigners say students are unable to travel and begin their studies because of a Home Office requirement for biometric data for a visa application. The UK-authorised biometrics registration centre in Gaza closed in October 2023 and it has been impossible for them to travel to other centres in neighbouring countries. They are calling on the government to grant the students a biometrics deferral, and to help them find a safe route to a third country where they can complete their visa application and travel on to the UK. Dr Nora Parr, a researcher at Birmingham University who is supporting the students in Gaza, said Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany and Italy had already helped evacuate students with university places in their countries. 'The students who studied, took TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) tests, wrote admissions essays and did virtual campus interviews under the most horrendous conditions imaginable – many from tent homes and makeshift wifi hubs – now must wait for a government decision. 'To not act is to decide to leave them without these hard-earned educational opportunities.' Parr said the government's immigration white paper earlier this year made clear the government's intention to reduce international student visas to UK universities. 'This, combined with the current government's tough stance on immigration, and absence of direct support for Palestine, has left these students in the most dire limbo.' The University and College Union (UCU), representing 125,000 education workers, added its voice to those demanding government action. In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the UCU general secretary, Jo Grady, urged the home secretary to 'expedite the process and ensure all these young Palestinians make it to our seminar rooms and lecture halls for the start of the academic year'. The students, who include doctors, midwives and mental health professionals, hold places at about 30 universities including Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Edinburgh and University College London, where they hope to study dental public health, data science and AI, and genomic medicine, among other subjects. Soha, 31, is hoping to study for a PhD in nursing and health research at the University of Ulster. She said: 'As a midwife living and working in Gaza, I have witnessed the unimaginable: mothers giving birth under fire, newborns taking their first breath in shelters, and health professionals struggling to provide care with little more than courage and commitment.' She told the Guardian the government must act as a matter of urgency. 'We need them to be faster making the decisions that we are waiting for. Give us the biometric waiver that we want and facilitate our safe passage. We are running out of time. 'I carry with me the hopes of countless women and colleagues back in Gaza. When I return, I plan to lead maternal health research in Palestine. I want to train a new generation of midwives in evidence-based, trauma-informed care, so that even in crisis, childbirth can be safe and dignified.' Abtisam Mohamed, the Labour MP for Sheffield Central, who is advocating for the students in Gaza as co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for international students, said: 'Gaza's education system, like so much else, has been all but obliterated. 'Amid these catastrophic conditions, some of the brightest students of their generation have secured scholarships to study at universities abroad, but they cannot provide documentation because Gaza's only visa application centre has been destroyed. Ireland, France and Belgium have acted to ensure their students can reach safety; the UK has not. 'This is not hypothetical; some of these students have already been killed while waiting and others remain in constant danger. I'm pressing ministers to address this as soon as possible, as every minute increases the likelihood that more young lives will be lost.' Universities that have offered places to the students urged the government to step in. 'It is really important that we keep the life-changing opportunity of higher education open for students whose lives are being overturned by conflict,' said Dr Michael Spence, the president and provost of University College London. 'The dedication these students have shown and their determination to keep learning despite incredibly difficult circumstances demonstrates how hugely motivated they are to take advantage of everything that UCL can offer them, to shape a better future for themselves, their families and their communities. 'Any action the government can take to help them find ways around the barriers that the situation in Gaza presents would be hugely welcome and of very great benefit.' A government spokesperson responded: 'We are aware of the students and are considering the request for support.'
