The US has asked Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan to take in the Afghans who assisted with the American military’s invasion and occupation of the country before the completion of the withdrawal.

The agreement would be part of a broader deal to establish further cooperation with Central Asian countries concerning Afghanistan. The Uzbek and Tajik foreign ministers are in Washington this week, and the sides are discussing an accord that would allow the US to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations from their territory.

“All the visa seekers are surprised by this news and we are hoping they shift us swiftly as the security is really worsening and those countries are much safer than Afghanistan,” Amin Rahimi, an Afghan employee of a US government-funded project, said by phone on Friday.

The US State Department declined to comment.