Cambodia is preparing to receive a group of Afghan refugees currently stranded in Qatar, an initiative arising from a request made by the U.S. government. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet signed the decision on July 6 of this year, with the relevant documents released on September 23.
Under the arrangement, Cambodia has established a 16-member working group responsible for coordinating with the U.S. side on the refugees' arrival, accommodation, security, medical care and logistical matters, and for determining the final number to be received in accordance with Cambodian regulations.
Most of these Afghans were evacuated during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and have since been staying at the As Sayliyah camp in Qatar awaiting resettlement. The camp currently holds more than 1,000 Afghans, many of whom are people who previously assisted the U.S. military, along with those people’s family members.
It should be noted that what Cambodia has announced is a "temporary reception" arrangement; the final number to be received and the specific duration of stay have not been specified. If some individuals need to travel to third countries in the future, the Cambodian working group will coordinate with the relevant diplomatic missions to arrange their subsequent resettlement and departure.
This is not the first time Cambodia has temporarily received Afghan refugees. In 2021, Cambodia agreed to temporarily accept up to 300 Afghan refugees, of whom at least 15 ultimately entered Cambodia to await resettlement in third countries.
