The Taliban’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said on Saturday that, under the directive of their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, a high-level meeting was convened to “facilitate the legal transfer” of Afghan workers to foreign countries.
According to a statement from the ministry, the meeting was chaired by Abdul Manan Omari, the Taliban’s minister of labor and social affairs, and attended by several senior Taliban officials, including Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister; Mohammad Nabi Omari, the deputy interior minister; Hamdullah Zahid, the deputy minister of public health; and Abdul Qahir Idris, the head of statistics and information.
The statement added that the meeting resulted in a decision to expedite the process of sending Afghan workers abroad and to draft a “five-party agreement” aimed at protecting their rights.
Although the statement did not specify destination countries, the Taliban have previously disclosed discussions with Qatari officials about deploying Afghan workers to Qatar.
Economic hardships under Taliban rule
The announcement comes as many Afghans report worsening economic conditions under Taliban governance. Job opportunities have become increasingly scarce, with widespread hunger and deepening poverty placing immense pressure on families.
“Providing even one meal a day for our families has become a challenge,” said one Afghan citizen, echoing the sentiments of many who say employment prospects are severely limited.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned in its most recent report that 22.9 million people in Afghanistan will require humanitarian assistance in the coming year. The report also projected that 14.8 million people would face “acute food insecurity,” a 2.4 million increase from the previous year.
Compounding the crisis, Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission in Geneva has previously reported that over 8 million Afghans have left the country since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Many cite reasons including hunger, poverty, unemployment, educational and professional restrictions, human rights abuses, and Taliban-imposed limitations on women and girls.
