Just days before US President Donald Trump publicly pledged to save Afghan evacuees stranded in the United Arab Emirates, the Emirati government had already begun deporting some of them back to Afghanistan, according to a US State Department cable obtained by Reuters.

The internal document revealed that on July 10, Salem al-Zaabi, the UAE’s Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister, informed US officials in Abu Dhabi that two Afghan families had been "successfully and safely" returned to Afghanistan earlier that month.

Al-Zaabi also stated the UAE intended to deport the remaining 25 evacuees by July 20 to "close this chapter for good," adding that his government would seek safety assurances from the Taliban.

The UAE had agreed in 2021 to temporarily house thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover of Kabul at a facility in Abu Dhabi known as Emirates Humanitarian City. Over the years, about 17,000 evacuees have been processed through the site. More than 30, however, remain trapped in legal and political limbo.

Trump pledges help, appears unaware of UAE’s actions

On Sunday, Trump responded to a media report on the stranded Afghans by posting on Truth Social, "I will try to save them, starting right now," linking to an article from "Just the News" which noted that UAE officials were preparing to hand over refugees to the Taliban.

However, the State Department cable shows that some deportations had already occurred days before his statement.

While the Emirati official claimed the families had returned voluntarily because they were "tired of waiting," sources familiar with the situation contested that version. Two individuals told Reuters the UAE government, in coordination with the Taliban’s ambassador in Abu Dhabi, pressured Afghan families to sign so-called voluntary deportation agreements, warning them they would otherwise face arrest and forced return.

The cable also noted that UAE officials requested the US coordinate "perception management" efforts, aiming to avoid NGO criticism over what they described as Washington's failure to resettle the evacuees.

Fate of refugees in UAE and Qatar remains uncertain

The future of the Afghan evacuees in the UAE is intertwined with that of approximately 1,500 others being held in similar conditions at Camp Al-Sayliyah in Qatar. US advocacy groups have urged immediate action to prevent further deportations and ensure protections for those at risk.

Among those stranded are family members of Afghan-American US military personnel, unaccompanied children cleared for reunification, and Afghans who worked with US agencies during the 20-year war.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has pursued a sweeping anti-immigration agenda. In April, his administration rescinded Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Afghans in the United States. Democrats have pressed for the restoration of those protections, emphasizing the specific threats faced by Afghan women and children under Taliban rule.

The advocacy group #AfghanEvac called on Trump to follow his online pledge with immediate action. "That means working to immediately secure protections and departures for the Afghans at the Emirates Humanitarian City in UAE and Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar and ensuring they are not deported back into the hands of the Taliban," the group said in a statement.