Fort Bliss, Texas (AP) —Friday’s Biden administration shows Afghanistan airborne from Afghanistan in a question about how the government cares for and scrutinizes refugees. Provided the first public appearance inside the US military base.

“All the Afghans with us have endured a tragic journey, and now they face the very real challenge of adapting to life in the United States,” said a senior State Department official. Liz Gracon told reporters.

The three-hour tour at Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Texas was the first time the media had been granted wide access to one of eight US military facilities containing Afghanistan.

However, reporters, including Associated Press reporters, were not allowed to talk to evacuees or spend more than a few minutes in the area where they gathered, and military officials raised “privacy concerns.” rice field.

Nearly 10,000 Afghan refugees are staying at the base while undergoing medical and security checks before resettling in the United States. The operation was described by Homeland Security and State Department officials as a “historical” and “unprecedented” effort to facilitate the transfer of vast numbers of refugees within a month. ..

On Friday, Afghan children with soccer balls and basketball played outside a large white tent. The family walked the dirt road, stacking plastic food containers under their chin and cans of Coca-Cola under their arms. A girl, still dressed dirty, cried in the middle of the road after food spilled and soldiers tried to help her. Inside the container, where refugees spent about 15 minutes lined up in the fierce sun, was traditional Afghan cuisine with basmati rice and hearty stew.

The US government spent two weeks building what was called a village to house Afghanistan at the base. It is a vast area with hundreds of air-conditioned tents used as dormitories and many canteens in cluttered soil. The landscape was, in a sense, similar to part of their hometown where they fled. This base was previously used to accommodate immigrant children in 2016.

Approximately 50,000 Afghans, including translators and drivers who helped the U.S. military during the 20-year war and feared retaliation by Tullivan, will be accepted by the U.S. under a program called “Welcome to Allies.” It is expected. I seized power last month.

Almost 130,000 Airlifted from Afghanistan It is one of the largest evacuation in US history. Many of these people are still in transit and are undergoing security inspections and screening in other countries, including Germany, Spain, Kuwait and Qatar.

Congressmen are wondering if the screening is thorough enough. Many Afghans who worked for the US government have already been screened for years before being hired, and then again apply for special immigrant visas for US allies.

After they are released from the base, they will be assisted by the resettlement agency responsible for the placement of refugees. Agencies prioritize where there is an Afghan immigrant community that already has a family in the United States or has resources to help refugees start a new life abroad. According to a State Department representative, anyone with US citizenship or a green card can leave when they arrive at the base.

If other evacuees (whose release relies on the completion of health protocols mandated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) choose to leave before the full resettlement period, it will be used against them. May be.

So far, no one in Fort Bliss has been released for resettlement.

The Pentagon said all evacuees would be tested for COVID-19 when they arrived at Dulles International Airport on the outskirts of Washington.

The Biden administration also uses this base to house the children of thousands of immigrants, primarily from Central America. They have crossed the US-Mexico border in record numbers, without adults. Children are held there until they are reunited with relatives and sponsors already in the United States, usually family friends, or sent to an authorized facility.