Pentagon Inspector General’s Office to Review Afghan Refugee Vetting Process

The Department of Defense Inspector General’s Office will begin a review of how Afghan evacuees were vetted prior to leaving their country and arriving in the United States. With more than 100,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan due to the U.S. withdrawal from the region, questions have been asked about the vetting process used to screen potential security risks.

According to the Daily Caller, there have been reports of dozens of evacuees being “flagged” for possible terrorist ties or as possible national security risks.

“The evaluation will look into the biometric screening process, the handling of individuals flagged as ‘security risks,’ and the management of individuals’ ingress and egress to a DoD-managed facility when screening/vetting is not complete,” according to a letter Department of Defense Inspector General for Evaluations Michael Roark sent Thursday to senior Pentagon officials.

“We will perform the evaluation by gathering and reviewing appropriate policies, directives, and orders related to biometric screening, and the screening and vetting of displaced persons from Afghanistan,” Roark wrote.

Rep. Tom Tiffany is one legislator critical of the Administration’s refugee process. “If anyone has been observing what’s going on in our southern border this year and now with this rushed evacuation out of Afghanistan, is anybody surprised this is not being done properly?”

The Wisconin Republican told Newsmax Thursday, “Everyone coming out of Afghanistan should be vetted in a safe third country and go through the special immigrant visa process there, rather than being sent to the United States.”

The Defense Department reviews will take place at Virginia’s Fort Picket, Marine Corps Base Quantico, and the Dulles Expo Center. These are all locations currently housing Afghan refugees that have been brought to the United States.

As part of the review process, Roark said, “We will conduct a request for information to determine which DoD forces or units are being used to conduct the screening, how information is being collected, tracked, and shared with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and what is being done with displaced persons who are identified as a potential threat to security.”

The Biden administration plans to resettle 95,000 Afghans in the U.S., according to the Daily Caller.