More than 80 Afghan women studying in Oman with U.S.-funded scholarships are facing deportation to Afghanistan after their scholarships were canceled as part of the Trump administration’s cuts to foreign aid. The termination of the Women’s Scholarship Endowment program administered by USAID at the Middle East College of Oman has left the students in a state of uncertainty and fear of persecution and life-threatening risks if they are forced to return to Afghanistan. The students have appealed for urgent assistance to continue their education abroad, as going back to Afghanistan would mean the permanent loss of their education and exposure to severe risks and oppression. The program was one of many initiatives eliminated by the Trump administration in an effort to scale back USAID. Efforts are being made by nonprofit groups to resolve the situation and prevent the students from being sent back to Afghanistan, where the Taliban has reimposed draconian restrictions on women, including banning them from education and employment. Rep. Seth Moulton has called on the Trump administration to reverse course and reinstate the scholarship program, emphasizing the life-threatening consequences faced by the Afghan female students if they are forced to return to Afghanistan.
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