Fear of Taliban return: Afghans rush to obtain Passports

According to media reports, the Aghan Passport Authority issues 10,000 passports daily across Afghanistan while the passport backlog and demand has exceeded expectations.

The main reason for the increase in passport applications is the fear of the return of the Taliban and the fall of the government.

Most of those applying for a passport are government employees or people who work in foreign companies.

Although NATO member states have promised to eject their co-workers from the war-hit country, especially translators working with them over the past 20 years.

Some of them are already trying to leave Afghanistan before The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)officials.

On the other hand, as the demand for passports rises, so does the demand for visas.

Although the Afghan passport is one of the least valued in the world, most countries still issue visas to Afghan citizens without restriction whereas some countries have recently reduced the number of visas or stricken requirements for Afghan nationals.

In such a situation, the business of issuing illegal visas has also increased. In the past, it was possible to legally obtain an Uzbek visa in a week for $90, but now it is barely available for $1,500.

In such a situation, where a  large number of Afghans want to reach neighbouring countries, illegal migration routes to Iran and Pakistan are said to be already crowded, and human traffickers have stepped up efforts to relocate Afghans to both countries.

The biggest reason for this situation is the fear of the Taliban returning to power and taking control of the cities.

Not only has social media become a source of propaganda for the Taliban, but even some international media outlets are fueling the fire.

In the last few weeks, there have been repeated reports in the Western media that the Taliban are likely to take over within six months of the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan.