WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Flights to evacuate Afghan immigration visa applicants to the United States will begin in the last week of July, a senior administration official told Reuters.
Reuters earlier reported that President Joe Biden’s administration is expected to announce the start of the program, called “Operation Allies Refuge,” citing other people familiar with the matter.
The administration does not plan to disclose details on when the flights will depart for “operational security,” the senior administration official said.
A State Department unit coordinating the evacuations will be run by veteran Ambassador Tracey Jacobson and include representatives from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the official said.
Deputy Homeland Security Advisor Russ Travers will coordinate an interagency policy process related to the evacuations.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jeff Mason; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
