Taliban said Sunday that Iran has agreed to participate in an upcoming technical trilateral meeting focused on the situation of Afghan migrants, according to a United Nations refugee official cited by the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees.
In a statement, the Taliban ministry said that Arafat Jamal, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Afghanistan, conveyed Iran’s willingness to join the talks during a meeting with Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s acting minister for refugees.
The proposed meeting is expected to take place in Kabul, with representatives from Iran, the Taliban, and UNHCR in attendance. The statement did not specify a date for the talks.
According to the Taliban, Jamal expressed hope that the trilateral meeting would result in “positive outcomes” and address the growing challenges faced by Afghan migrants and refugees residing in Iran.
The statement also quoted Jamal as saying that additional multilateral meetings focused on Afghan displacement would continue. He reportedly noted that an international gathering is being planned in Doha, Qatar, in the near future to coordinate funding and support for humanitarian operations involving Afghan refugees.
The Taliban’s acting refugee minister called the upcoming trilateral talks “important” and said the Taliban are ready to participate.
The announcement comes amid a continued surge in forced deportations of Afghan nationals from Iran, a move that has drawn criticism from international rights organizations.
The United Nations has previously warned that the mass return of migrants risks further destabilizing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, which continues to face widespread poverty, food insecurity, and lack of access to services—particularly for returnees.
