By Gill Bikram Singh 
More than 80 Afghan women who fled the Taliban to pursue higher education in Oman now face deportation back to Afghanistan following the suspension of US-funded scholarships due to a foreign aid freeze.
Their education was supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), but the scholarships were abruptly terminated after President Donald Trump’s administration halted foreign aid programs in January.
“It was devastating,” one student told the BBC, speaking anonymously for safety reasons. “Everyone was in shock, crying. We’ve been told we will be sent back within two weeks.”
Taliban’s Restrictions on Women’s Education
Since reclaiming power nearly four years ago, the Taliban has imposed harsh restrictions on women, including a ban on university education. US aid funding had enabled Afghan women to continue their studies abroad, but many of these programs are now suspended.
The aid freeze has caused global disruptions, with thousands of humanitarian initiatives affected. In Oman, preparations are already underway to return the Afghan students to their home country, prompting urgent appeals for international intervention.
Emails seen by the BBC confirm that the 82 students were informed their scholarships had been discontinued due to the funding cut. The emails acknowledged the distressing nature of the news and mentioned travel arrangements back to Afghanistan, which has alarmed the students.
“We need immediate protection, financial assistance, and the opportunity to resettle in a safe country where we can continue our education,” one student said.
The USAID website’s media contact page remains offline, and the US State Department has yet to respond to requests for comment.
A Future in Jeopardy
The Afghan women in Oman had been studying under the Women’s Scholarship Endowment (WSE), a USAID program launched in 2018 to support women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)—subjects now banned for women in Afghanistan.
Most of the students, now in their 20s, were awarded scholarships in 2021 before the Taliban regained control. They continued their studies in Afghan universities until December 2022, when the Taliban prohibited higher education for women. After spending 18 months in limbo, they fled to Pakistan in September 2024, with USAID facilitating their visas to Oman, where they arrived between October and November.
“If we are sent back, we will lose everything,” a student said. “We won’t be allowed to study, our families may force us into marriage, and some of us could face personal threats due to our past activism.”
The Taliban has cracked down on women’s rights protests, detaining and threatening activists. Many women in Afghanistan describe themselves as “walking dead” under the regime’s harsh policies.
Although the Taliban claims it is working on resolving the issue of women’s education, its leaders continue to defend restrictive laws, arguing they align with Islamic Sharia law.
Political Fallout and Uncertain Future
Initially, the students were assured that their scholarships would support them until 2028. They were even advised against visiting Afghanistan due to safety risks. “Now they’re telling us to return,” a student said.
Last month, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly attributed Afghan women’s suffering to the US military withdrawal under the Biden administration, stating, “Afghan women are facing these conditions because Joe Biden’s disastrous exit allowed the Taliban to impose medieval policies.”
However, the decision to cut aid funding was made by the Trump administration and implemented through the newly established Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk.
As the deadline for their deportation looms, these Afghan women are desperately seeking a way out before their window of opportunity closes.