Afghan Women Scholars Face Deportation Amid USAID Aid Freeze

Afghan women fleeing Taliban oppression to pursue higher education in Oman are facing imminent deportation due to a funding freeze from USAID initiated by the Trump administration. With their scholarships suddenly terminated, students fear for their safety and future as they prepare to return to Afghanistan.

More than 80 Afghan women who sought refuge in Oman to escape Taliban rule and pursue higher education are now facing the looming threat of deportation. Their scholarships, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), were abruptly discontinued following an aid freeze imposed by the Trump administration at the beginning of 2024.

Students expressed their despair after receiving emails notifying them of their scholarship termination, with one stating, “It was like everything has been taken away from me.” The Taliban’s oppressive regime has already imposed severe restrictions on women, including a ban on university education. Prior to the aid freeze, many Afghan women had been able to study in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, which have been forbidden under Taliban rule.

The abrupt cutoff of funding has left these students, mostly in their twenties, emotionally distressed and worried about their futures. “If we are sent back, we will face severe consequences,” one student warned, highlighting the threat of forced marriages and personal danger due to their previous activism and affiliations. Many of the students had fled to Pakistan in September 2022 as the situation in Afghanistan worsened, eventually arriving in Oman through USAID assistance.

The scholarship program, which started in 2018, aimed to support women’s education until 2028, but the sudden freeze has thrown their futures into uncertainty. In light of their troubling plight, the women have urged the international community to take “urgent action” to safeguard their safety and educational opportunities. A student summed up their collective sentiment, stating, “We need immediate protection, financial assistance, and resettlement options in a safe country.”

Despite claims from the Taliban that they are addressing women’s educational needs, these scholars in Oman feel trapped and fear the consequences of a forced return to their home country. The ongoing U.S. aid cuts, as part of broader budget reductions, threaten not only these women's futures but also the hopes of many other humanitarian programs worldwide.