The Taliban-run foreign ministry said on Thursday that 108 nationals had been released from prisons in the United Arab Emirates, describing the move as a humanitarian gesture by the Emirati government.
The ministry said the releases were granted to mark the UAE’s National Day. Some of those freed have already returned to Afghanistan, while efforts are under way to repatriate the remaining individuals after legal procedures are completed.
The Taliban thanked the UAE authorities for what they described as a humanitarian act.
Separately, the Taliban-run ministry for refugees and repatriation said more than 100 nationals had also been released from prisons in Pakistan, where they had been detained for periods ranging from one day to two months.
The ministry described those released from Pakistan as migrants and said they had been held in various detention facilities.
The releases come amid ongoing criticism from some commentators and rights advocates over the lack of protection and consular support for Afghanistan’s nationals detained abroad, particularly since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Hundreds of thousands of people have migrated to neighbouring countries over the past four years, many in search of work.
