A group of over 80 Afghan women who fled the Taliban to study in Oman are facing deportation back to Afghanistan after their U.S.-funded scholarship was canceled due to cuts to foreign aid by the Trump administration. The students received an email on Feb. 28 informing them of the termination of the scholarship program, leaving them at risk of persecution and life-threatening dangers if they return to Afghanistan. The female students are appealing for urgent help to allow them to continue their studies abroad.
The Women’s Scholarship Endowment program for female scholars was launched in 2019 with a $50 million endowment from USAID. The program has been cut along with thousands of other foreign aid initiatives as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to scale back USAID. The students face the possibility of the Taliban deciding their fate if they are forced to return to Afghanistan, where women face severe restrictions on education and employment.
Nonprofit groups are in discussions with the government of Oman to find a resolution to the situation and prevent the deportation of these women. The elimination of the scholarship program has been criticized by lawmakers, who have called on the Trump administration to reverse course and reinstate the funding. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, they have imposed harsh restrictions on women’s rights, limiting their access to education and employment. The cancellation of the scholarship program puts the lives of these Afghan women in danger and could result in a death sentence for them if they are sent back to Afghanistan.
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