Taliban Issues Travel Ban for Shia Pilgrims of Afghanistan to Iraq

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban announced a travel ban on Shia pilgrims from Afghanistan to Iraq. The group’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the ban has been enforced due to the security situation of Iraq.

According to the Taliban ministry, Iran has also stopped sending pilgrimage caravans to Iraq due to the security situation in that country.

In recent years, thousands of Shia citizens of Afghanistan who are mainly from the Hazara ethnic group have travelled to Iraq in pilgrimage caravans.

The Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stressed that the security situation in Iraq is not favourable for Afghan pilgrims, and in the absence of security guarantees for the pilgrims, sending Afghan nationals to Iraq will be risky.

The Iraqi capital city of Baghdad has recently witnessed a political deadlock and the city even witnessed armed conflict between supporters of the Sadr movement and groups affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Meanwhile, the Union of Travel agencies and pilgrimage companies in Kabul have told the media outlets that based on the Taliban travel ban for Shia pilgrims, they are not allowed to transport Shia citizens of Afghanistan to Karbala city in Iraq.