The last of the Afghan refugees who were temporarily housed at Fort Pickett in Nottoway County have now left the base, according to a release from the Department of Homeland Security.
More than 10,300 Afghans passed through the base on their way to resettlement elsewhere, according to the release. As of early January, about 5,000 were still at Fort Pickett. The last ones left Tuesday, Feb. 1, the department said.
It’s unclear how many of the Afghans resettled in Virginia. In early January, the state said that 4,032 had been resettled in Virginia: 2,738 in Northern Virginia, 546 in Richmond, 306 in Charlottesville, 189 in Newport News and 111 in Roanoke. The Virginia Department of Social Services said it hoped to have an update later this week.
Fort Pickett is the sixth of eight U.S. military bases to see all its Afghan refugees depart, the department said. In all, more than 68,000 Afghans have been resettled following the country’s takeover by the Taliban last year.
Previous coverage:
- Oct. 1: Afghan refugees at Fort Pickett divide Blackstone.
- Commentary, Oct. 21: What if Afghan refugees stayed in Southside?
- Commentary, Jan. 20: Southwest and Southside are missing an opportunity with Afghan refugees.