By Tahera Rahmani on Sep 3, 2025

Part 2 - The Afghan Diaspora

The Afghan story is one of movement, resilience, and community. Over the decades, families have built new homes around the world, carrying traditions and memories with them. In Philadelphia, this history continues as Afghans lay new roots while keeping close ties to their heritage.

Between Two Worlds: Afghan Lives Rebuilding in Philadelphia

By: Tahera Rahmani and Chris Shaddock

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This article is part of a six-part series on Afghan lives rebuilding in Philadelphia. To follow the full story, you can read the previous part here

Since the start of the Soviet-Afghan War in 1979, Afghans have been fleeing their home country in what is known as the Afghan Diaspora. The most recent surge of Afghans fleeing occurred when the U.S. military began withdrawing from Afghanistan in 2021, resulting in the Taliban quickly retaking the country.

While Iran and Pakistan have the most Afghan refugees, the U.S. has the fourth-largest population. Based on the 2022 US Census Bureau American Community Survey, there are approximately 250,000 individuals in the United States who reported being born in Afghanistan or having Afghan ancestry.

Many of the Afghan refugees who have come to the U.S. either assisted the U.S. during the war or are fleeing persecution from the Taliban regime. Afghans seeking entry into the U.S. either received Special Immigrant Visas (SIV), parole or asylum. SIV is a permanent legal status given to those who were wartime allies of the U.S. and helped the U.S. during the War in Iraq and Afghanistan, while both asylum and parole were permitted for Afghans due to being considered refugees. While people with SIVs have permanent residence, asylum and parole are not. Asylum is granted indefinitely and cannot expire, but can be revoked by the Department of Homeland Security if certain requirements are met. Parole is temporary, but people must leave the country after it expires. People in asylum and parole have the potential to apply and be granted a green card, which is considered permanent residence.

Lucy Rabbaa, Director of Social Services at HIAS Pennsylvania, has helped lead resettlement efforts for Afghan newcomers in Philadelphia. Photo by Chris Shaddock

According to the director of social services at Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) PA Lucy Rabbaa, there are estimated to be about 10,000 Afghans living in the Greater Philadelphia Area, with most living in the Northeast and West Philadelphia areas.

While Afghans seek stability in the U.S., resettling in a new land comes with its own set of challenges… [Read Part 3 →]