Several US senators have called upon the congressional leaders to increase the availability of visas for Afghans who worked alongside US troops during the country’s longest war in the Central Asian country, Visa Guide reported.

Over a dozen both Republican and Democratic senators have urged Congress to increase the limit on special immigrant visas for Afghans, according to a letter.

They added that an additional 20,000 visas are needed before the end of the fiscal year in September.

The Biden administration has also urged the Congress to act “swiftly”. Moreover, National Security Council spokesman John Kirbey told reporters that “even though our war in Afghanistan ended, our commitment to Afghans and our commitment to those who helped us in that war has not ended.”

The Special Immigrant Visa program, launched in 2009, is available to persons who worked with the US Armed Forces or under the chief of mission authority as an interpreter or translator in Iraq or Afghanistan.