Labor Ministry: Iran Ready to Issue 200,000 Work Visas for Afghan Workers

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs stated that an Iranian delegation visiting Kabul recently informed Afghan officials of Iran’s readiness to issue 200,000 work visas for Afghan workers in the current year.

Samiullah Ebrahimi added that efforts are underway to sign a memorandum of understanding that would pave the way for the legal deployment of Afghan workers to Iran.

The ministry spokesperson stated: “In various areas, discussions took place, among them the issue of Afghan workers. This year, 200,000 work visas are to be issued by Iranian employers for Afghan workers.”

The ministry also said that in addition to Iran, it is in contact with Qatar, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Oman to secure legal employment opportunities for Afghan workers in those countries.

However, more than five months have passed since the registration of Afghan workers for deployment to Qatar, and it is still unclear when they will actually be sent.

Abdul Zuhor Mudaber, an economic analyst, “Given the current low employment rate in the country, sending our workforce abroad can be seen as a valuable step. However, in the long term, whether Afghan labor is physical or intellectual, using it within the country would be more beneficial to the economy.”

Ferdaws Behguzin, another economic expert, added: “If workers are employed legally in other countries, they can receive their salaries and wages officially. As we’ve seen in the past, many of our fellow citizens working abroad illegally were unable to recover their wages.”

These efforts come amid rising unemployment, shrinking job opportunities inside the country, and growing economic pressure, all of which have forced thousands of Afghans to seek job opportunities outside the country to support their families.