US pays Afghans stranded in Qatar to repatriate, plan labeled 'betrayal'

Special Immigrants from Afghanistan walk through the in-processing building after their evacuation at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, August 20, 2021. Picture taken August 20, 2021. U.S. Army/Sgt. Jimmie Baker/Handout via REUTERS

WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - ⁠The U.S. State Department has begun paying Afghansto repatriate as it attempts to ⁠close a camp in Qatar where they have been stranded for years, ‌the top State Department official for South and Central Asia told lawmakers on Wednesday.

More than 1,100 people have been held at the former U.S. Army base Camp As Sayliyah (CAS) since at least early last year, when ​Republican President Donald Trump's administration halted resettlement for Afghans ⁠who feared retribution from Taliban authorities ⁠for their links to the U.S. military.