UN urges US not to stigmatise Afghans after shooting
- The man suspected of the shooting was an Afghan national
BRUSSELS: The shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House should not be a reason for US President Donald Trump’s administration to review its immigration policy towards Afghans, a UN official told AFP on Thursday.
The man suspected of the shooting on Wednesday was an Afghan national who worked alongside US forces in Afghanistan before arriving in America four years ago, US media reported.
Trump condemned the shooting and immediately called on his administration to “reexamine” all individuals who had come to the United States from Afghanistan during Joe Biden’s administration.
“It’s a heinous crime what this person is being accused of, and if it is true, which seems to be the case, then certainly we condemn it,” said Arafat Jamal, head of the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) in Kabul.
He added he hoped the incident “doesn’t impact other Afghans and asylum seekers and refugees” in the United States.
“I’m a little bit worried when I do see the news reports that constantly emphasise his Afghan heritage,” he said during a visit to Brussels for meetings with EU officials.
He added he hoped it did not “colour many of the Afghans in the US and other countries who stood loyally by the Americans during their time in Afghanistan”.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the suspect took advantage of a programme put in place by Biden’s administration to help Afghans who worked with the Americans after the Taliban came to power in 2021.
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