Kabul residents say house rents in the capital have risen to unprecedented levels as deportations of migrants from Iran and Pakistan intensify.
They say the surge has left many families struggling to find housing, adding to economic hardship in the city.
“I’ve been looking for a house for more than two months,” said Abdul Khaliq, a Kabul resident. “There are no rentals or advance-payment houses available. When I asked an agent what the problem was, he said it’s because neighboring countries are deporting Afghans back here, and there are no houses left.”
Residents in other provinces also told Amu that Taliban have failed to monitor or manage the situation, allowing landlords to sharply increase rents.
“In just a month or two, rents have gone up so much,” said Sharara Nikzad, another Kabul resident. “Before, a house cost 8,000 or 9,000 afghanis. Now it’s 18,000 or 29,000. People are in a terrible economic situation, and this must be addressed.”
The Taliban have not issued an official response, though the Justice Ministry previously said it was recording and addressing complaints about unfair rent increases. The ministry said this month landlords would face questioning if they raised rents more than 10% compared with last year, but residents say the measure has not been enforced.
This comes as Iran has deported at least two million Afghans so far this year. Moreover, Pakistan is also deporting hundreds of migrants on a daily basis, many of whom choose Kabul as their residence.
