RASC News Agency: Several citizens report that extreme poverty and the severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban are forcing them to leave the country. These citizens emphasize that over the past three years, job opportunities have drastically declined. Three years have passed since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. During this period, poverty, unemployment, and restrictions have increasingly plagued the nation.
Moreover, the International Organization for Migration recently reported that, in the first three months of this solar year, over half a million Afghanistanis have left the country. Citizens attribute these departures to sheer desperation, driven by severe unemployment and destitution. They question how they can survive in Afghanistan without work or sustenance. Mahbuba recounts that her husband worked in a government office but was dismissed after the Taliban returned to power.
Mahbuba and her family lived in Kabul for months without any income. Ultimately, to escape poverty and the Taliban’s restrictions, they chose to emigrate illegally rather than remain in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Unfortunately, their journey ended in deportation from Iran. Currently, this family struggles with dire economic conditions in Afghanistan. She says: “Both my husband and I were working. When we lost our jobs, we illegally went to Iran; we stayed there for two years before returning to Afghanistan. Now, we have no job, no place to live, and nothing to eat.”
Increasing unemployment in Afghanistan has driven many citizens to seek escape from the country. The International Organization for Migration, in its quarterly report, stated that from March 21 to June 3 of this year, 532,854 Afghanistanis have left the country. The report indicates that nearly 80 percent of these individuals, including 45 percent women and 36 percent men, cited poor economic conditions as their reason for leaving. Poor economic conditions, along with a lack of security and freedom, are cited as reasons for migration.
Bashir Ahmad from Ghor says: “The international community and the Afghanistan government should discuss ensuring that people can study, educate themselves, and work in Afghanistan, rather than migrating to other countries, as migration is not a favorable option.” Shakila, also from Ghor, states: “We sold everything we had and went to Iran, hoping to continue our children’s education and sustain ourselves there. However, life in Iran for the past two years has been extremely difficult.”
This situation arises as the Taliban, in the three years since their return to power, have imposed numerous restrictions on the country’s citizens, particularly targeting women and girls. Citizens declare that with even the slightest opportunity for migration, they would leave Afghanistan to secure education and a better future for their daughters.
However, many refugee families in Iran and Pakistan also lack access to education.
