Russia cannot recruit migrant workers from Afghanistan on a large scale because of security concerns and the absence of mechanisms to regulate and monitor migration flows, a senior Russian official said on Monday.
Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, said existing laws did not allow Moscow to open its economy to large numbers of foreign workers without effective screening and oversight, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.
“Without a system of filtering and regulation, such a process would pose security risks,” Kabulov was quoted as saying. He added that, in the absence of proper controls, “various elements, including destructive ones,” could enter the country under the guise of labour migration.
Kabulov said Russia could consider hiring Afghan workers in the future, but only if the process were fully organised, regulated and jointly controlled by both sides — conditions he said were not currently in place.
He added that Russia’s current annual quota for Afghan workers stands at about 80 people. Taliban authorities have previously proposed sending Afghan labourers to Russia, but no formal agreement has been announced.
Russia relies heavily on migrant labour, particularly from Central Asia, with millions of workers from countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan employed in construction, agriculture and services. By contrast, the number of Afghan nationals working legally in Russia is believed to be relatively small, running into only a few thousand, according to migration experts.
Following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have sought work abroad amid economic hardship and high unemployment at home. However, many destination countries have tightened migration rules, citing security concerns and the lack of formal labour agreements with Afghanistan.
Russia has gradually expanded diplomatic engagement with the Taliban administration and has formally recognised it. Security issues, including fears of militant infiltration, remain a key factor shaping Moscow’s policy toward Afghanistan.
