The Taliban administration has instructed travel and recruitment agencies in Kabul to stop facilitating work visas for Afghan workers seeking jobs abroad, reports Amu.tv, citing the Taliban Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. According to the ministry, the directive was issued during a meeting between Abdul Manan Omari, the Taliban-appointed minister of labour and social affairs, and representatives of travel and employment agencies.

Taliban claim the measure is intended to curb the “illegal transfer of labour” outside Afghanistan. Omari stated that the ministry, in coordination with the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Information and Culture, would establish a structured system for Afghan workers, ensuring that no one can leave the country for work using a tourist visa. He also asserted that the legal transfer of Afghan workers abroad and the resolution of their employment-related issues fall under the jurisdiction of multiple Taliban-run ministries, including labour and social affairs, interior, foreign affairs, public health, and the national statistics authority.

According to reports, around 8 million Afghans have left the country since the Taliban takeover, driven largely by unemployment, hunger, and widespread poverty. The Taliban administration is not recognised by any country as Afghanistan’s official government.