Afghans Need to be Classified as Refugees, Hetfield tells MSNBC

HIAS President and CEO Mark Hetfield told MSNBC that the U.S. needs to reclassify Afghans who are coming into the U.S. Right now they are mostly considered humanitarian parolees which means they can’t bring family into the country easily.

“We need these people to be treated as refugees under U.S. law so they have the ability to reunite with their family,” Hetfield said. Refugee status would entitle the Afghans to benefits and other help they need, and could provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship.

Hetfield also called for a “humanitarian corridor” (a safe route through which  civilians can evacuate) so people can get evacuated out of Afghanistan to safety.