A group of over 80 Afghan women who fled from the Taliban regime to study in Oman are facing imminent deportation back to Afghanistan after their U.S.-funded scholarship was canceled due to cuts in foreign aid by the Trump administration. The female students received an email informing them of the termination of the scholarship program administered by USAID at the Middle East College of Oman, leaving them in a dire situation.
These Afghan students are appealing for urgent help to continue their education abroad, as they fear persecution and life-threatening risks if they are forced to return to Afghanistan. The women were pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees under the Women’s Scholarship Endowment program, one of many initiatives eliminated in the USAID cuts.
Nonprofit groups are working with the government of Oman to find a solution and avoid sending the students back to Afghanistan, which they believe would be a death sentence. The Taliban’s return to power in 2021 has led to severe restrictions on women’s rights, including a ban on education and employment, further endangering these students if they are forced to return.
Representative Seth Moulton has criticized the cancellation of the scholarship program, calling it shameful and urging the Trump administration to reverse its decision. The abrupt termination of the scholarship funding has put the lives of these bright young women at risk, as they now face the possibility of returning to a dangerous and uncertain future in Afghanistan.
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