The statement came after reports that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was discussing the possible relocation of around 1,100 Afghans, including former U.S. war helpers and relatives of American service members, to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of efforts to resolve their prolonged displacement.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said Afghanistan remained the “shared homeland of all Afghans” and invited those concerned to return with “full confidence and peace of mind,” rejecting concerns that they faced security threats under Taliban rule.

He said those wishing to migrate to other countries could do so later through “legal and dignified channels” and added that Kabul was ready to engage with all countries on the matter.

The remarks followed disclosures by advocacy group #AfghanEvac, which supports Afghan resettlement efforts, that U.S. officials had informed the group of talks between Washington and Congo regarding refugees housed at Camp As-Sayliyah, a U.S. base in Doha, where many have remained in limbo for more than a year.

The U.S. State Department said it was working to identify options for “voluntary” resettlement in a third country, but did not confirm which countries were under discussion.

For many of the Afghans at the camp, returning to Afghanistan is not considered safe. Many had worked directly with U.S. military forces, diplomatic missions, or affiliated programs during the war and fear retaliation from the Taliban, who returned to power in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

In a joint statement shared by #AfghanEvac, refugees at the camp said they had not been formally informed by U.S. officials about the possible transfer to Congo and learned of the discussions through media reports.

They said the prolonged uncertainty had severely affected their mental health.“Many of us are not well. The uncertainty has been more than some of us can carry. There is deep depression,” the group said, describing worsening psychological distress among families who have spent months waiting for relocation.

The refugees also firmly rejected the idea of being moved to Congo, citing ongoing violence there.“We do not want to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the statement said. “It is a country in its own war. We have been in enough war.

We cannot take our children into another one.”The Democratic Republic of Congo has faced decades of instability, particularly in its eastern region, where fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed rebel groups has intensified.

Camp residents also said returning to Afghanistan was not an option.“The Taliban will kill many of us for what we did for the United States,” the statement said. “This is not a fear. This is a fact.”The relocation discussions come more than a year after President Trump suspended his predecessor’s Afghan refugee resettlement program as part of broader immigration restrictions, leaving thousands of vetted Afghan applicants stranded in transit hubs across the world, including Qatar.

Many had already completed years of security screening and documentation for U.S. resettlement before the process was halted.

The uncertainty over their future continues to underscore the unresolved humanitarian fallout of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fate of those who supported its mission there.

Sixteen-day-old Shiman was born inside a roadside tent to her mother, Haifa Kenjo, who had fled the southern suburbs of the capital as bombardments intensified. The family escaped with no belongings, leaving behind their home and savings amid the destruction.

Now living under a tarp secured with rocks near central Beirut, the family faces harsh conditions marked by damp bedding, insects and limited access to food and medical care. Kenjo said she had intended to give birth in a hospital but was unable to afford the costs after their home and their savings were destroyed in an airstrike.

According to the United Nations Population Fund, around 13,500 pregnant women are among those displaced in Lebanon, with more than 1,500 expected to give birth in the coming month, many without adequate maternal care.

When Kenjo went into labor on March 28, the family initially sought hospital treatment but could not raise the approximately $500 required for delivery. She returned to the tent, where a midwife assisted the birth under unsanitary conditions, using bottled water amid rain and mud.

The infant is showing signs of distress, including coughing and weakness, while access to infant formula remains limited. Kenjo said she has been unable to breastfeed, and the cost of formula exceeds her husband’s daily earnings.

Humanitarian volunteers have provided small quantities of aid, but supplies remain insufficient, reflecting broader shortages in displacement camps across the city.

The conflict, which has triggered mass displacement and strained Lebanon’s already fragile infrastructure, continues to disrupt access to essential services, leaving vulnerable populations including newborns and pregnant women at heightened risk.