- Kabul's International Airport continues to be overwhelmed with people trying to flee

Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the capital on August 15th.

As scenes of desperation have played out, the Taliban have threatened to block Afghans from
leaving the country while President Biden has doubled down on his deadline for when US
troops are scheduled to leave the country.

- [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

JOE BIDEN: We are currently on a pace to finish by August the 31st. The sooner we can finish,
the better. Each day of operations brings added risk to our troops.

- As the deadline looms, Afghans able to board evacuation flights face long journeys to their
host countries, starting a resettlement process with challenges ahead.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The path to getting out of the country hasn't been clear. One huge hurdle, documentation.

MICHELLE HACKMAN: It sounds like from people that we've interviewed that it mostly comes
down to luck whether you get into the airport or not.

You know, the first few days of the evacuation effort, it was kind of so chaotic. They were
letting a lot of people in, including people who didn't really have valid visa or travel documents.

And now, we're kind of seeing the reverse. You know, people even who do have valid American
visas are going up to the gate to the airport, waving them at American troops or Canadian
troops and still not getting into the airport.

- [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

- Once they are inside, issues with document verification continue, adding to the bottleneck.

MICHELLE HACKMAN: With a lot of cases, you had people with fake or even no documents
getting into the airport in the first few days, cramming themselves onto planes, getting out of
Afghanistan.

And now, partially because all that happened, the US is really prioritizing getting American
citizens and American green card holders through that gate, and it means more Afghans are
being left behind.

- [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

- And there's added urgency as the Taliban have threatened retaliation against Americans and
others if the US remains past the deadline. Late Wednesday, the US embassy urged Americans
outside the airport's gates to leave immediately, citing security threats.
By that point, the US and its allies had evacuated more than 88,0000 people since the Taliban
closed in on Kabul on August 14th. Military transport planes have shuttled evacuees to hubs in
Qatar, Bahrain, and Germany, with smaller satellite hubs receiving evacuees as well.

These locations have been setting up temporary beds and tents to receive evacuees who, in
some cases, are in the middle of getting their visas to come to the US.

MICHELLE HACKMAN: They have to go through a pretty rigorous security process that could
sometimes take up to a year. And so they'll need to live in those third countries for that
duration while they're waiting for their visas to come through.

- There are currently a few pathways for entry into the US. Evacuees with visas, or those who
are in the visa application process can enter. People who don't have visas are often sent to a
third country while a security screening is completed.

Those who work for an American nonprofit or media organization or individuals facing political,
religious, or ethnic persecution can enter as refugees. There's also a fourth option, an
immigration program known as PAROLE, which gives evacuees temporary permission to live
and work in the US.

Once they're in the country, they can apply for asylum, possibly get sponsorship from family or
wait for their visa to come through. Those arriving in the US are initially being housed at
military bases in New Jersey, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Texas, while other bases may eventually
receive evacuees as well.

MICHELLE HACKMAN: They're kind of being used as reception centers. In some cases, we have
to do medical screenings on them before they can get their visas. In some cases, they're just
being connected with resettlement organizations in the United States who are helping them,
you know, get connected to services here.

- Many of these resettlement organizations are contracted with the US government. The groups
help evacuees find a place to live and enroll their children in schools with the aim of integrating
them into American life.

MICHELLE HACKMAN: Anyone who gets here has been through an extremely harrowing
experience. And we have to remember those are the lucky ones.