ISTANBUL 

The US’ termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan took effect Monday, following a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review that concluded conditions had improved sufficiently to no longer warrant protections.

The decision, announced in May by US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, affects over 9,000 Afghans currently residing in the country.

Now, Afghans and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Afghanistan with this status in the US must leave the country if they are unable to apply for another lawful status.

The TPS designation for Afghanistan officially expired May 20, but protections were extended for 60 days until Monday to allow recipients time to adjust.

TPS is a humanitarian program that offers temporary legal status and work authorization to nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions that make return unsafe.

Afghanistan first received TPS status on May 20, 2022 due to ongoing armed conflict and exceptional temporary circumstances in the country. Then, on Sept. 25, 2023, the DHS both extended and newly designated Afghanistan’s TPS for another 18 months, covering the period from Nov. 21, 2023, through May 20.

The US recently decided to remove Nicaraguans, Hondurans, and Haitians from this program as well, though a US federal judge blocked the decision for Haiti a few days after the decision in June.