Washington: A team of Afghan girls who were earlier denied visas to attend a Washington robotics competition landed in the United States early Saturday following an intervention by US President Donald Trump.
The six-member team were greeted at Dulles International Airport by a throng of supporters, including Afghan ambassador Hamdullah Mohib and acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Alice G Wells, and were presented with bouquets.
They are due to take part FIRST Global Challenge — a three-day international robotics competition that aims to promote science and technology among youths worldwide that begins Monday.
“Our acting special rep to #Afghanistan/#Pakistan welcomes #AfghanRoboticsTeam to USA! Go girls!,” tweeted State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.
US authorities had originally refused access to schoolchildren from a number of Muslim-majority nations to participate in the science contest, decisions that followed implementation of stricter visa policies under Trump.
But the US president urged a reversal following public outcry over the Afghan girls’ inability to attend the event.
— AFP
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