Travel agencies urged to stop tourist visas to Afghan workers

KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Mullah Abdul Manan Omari has urged travel agencies to refrain from issuing tourist visas to Afghan workers travelling abroad and to seek guarantees from those travelling for tourism purposes.

He said this at a meeting with representatives of travel agencies here today (Tuesday), the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) spokesman Samiullah Ibrahim told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Omari emphasized the need for preventing illegal transfer of cheap labour, saying it would pave the way for a more structured and beneficial employment system.

"We are committed to establishing a proper mechanism in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Culture, to ensure Afghan workers are sent abroad through a legal and standardised process. This will prevent them from resorting to tourist visas for employment, which has caused significant challenges for Afghan laborers abroad," Omari assured.

He added his ministry along with the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), and the National Statistics and Information Authority was responsible for legal labor migration and addressing concerns of Afghan workers abroad.

During the meeting, travel agencies were urged to stop issuing tourist visas for job seekers and instead ensure that proper documentation and guarantees were in place for genuine tourists.

Ibrahimi pointed out that many Afghans who travel abroad on tourist visas end up working illegally, leading to serious complications such as low wages and lack of legal protections.

"Workers on tourist visas often face challenges in receiving their wages and legal rights because working under a tourist visa is itself a violation," he explained.

This development comes after Omari’s recent meeting with religious scholars, community elders, and youth representatives from Kabul’s 22 police districts and 14 districts, where he reiterated efforts to facilitate legal employment opportunities abroad for Afghan workers and youth.

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