Biden Reportedly Asks US Congress for $1Bln to Relocate Afghans Who Helped American Forces

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden has asked Congress for $1 billion to be allocated towards efforts to relocate Afghan nationals who assisted American forces during the war, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

The $1 billion would be split between the State and Defense Departments, with $25 million also being given to the Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Refugee Resettlement, the report said.

The funds would be used to pay for shelter, resettlement and other necessities, according to persons familiar with the matter.

The Biden administration reportedly asked for the funds on Friday. However, the request did not include a detailed plan.

Former Afghan interpreters, who worked with U.S. troops in Afghanistan demonstrate in front of the U.S. embassy in Kabul June 25, 2021

© REUTERS / STRINGER

The funding would be attached to another measure intended to bolster security in the Capitol complex and reimburse the Capitol Police and the National Guard for any expenses incurred as a result of the January 6 incident.

Relocation flights for the first group of Afghans applying for Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) status are set to begin in this final week of July, the White House said earlier in the month. One known resettlement location is Fort Lee in Virginia, where the SIV applicants and their families will temporarily stay until the vetting process completes.