Seven Million People Displaced In Afghanistan In 2025

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Taliban’s economic deputy office said the five-year agreement includes supplying and installing advanced equipment, repairing existing laboratory systems, and introducing foreign specialists to improve the professional capacity of staff at Afghanistan’s standards and quality authority.

The statement added that domestic and overseas training programmes would also be organised for technical staff, while efforts would be made to obtain internationally recognised certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Over the past five years, the Taliban have signed several similar contracts with foreign companies in different sectors. However, the group usually publishes only the signing announcements and provides little transparency about implementation, progress or the final outcome of the projects.

Taliban opponents accuse the group of secrecy in managing financial resources, arguing that the lack of transparency around contracts, budgets and revenues creates opportunities for misuse.

Critics also say it remains unclear how Taliban revenues, including income from mines and natural resources, are being spent.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice announced on Tuesday, May 12, that the “Law on the Sale and Distribution of State Land Plots and Issuing Construction Permits” had been published in the official gazette. The law, based on several decrees by the Taliban leader, contains 38 articles across six chapters.

Although the Taliban says the law aims to regulate the distribution, sale and ownership of government land for residential and commercial use, its provisions indicate the group may seek to invalidate previous ownership claims and resell the land to residents.

Articles 7 and 8 allow the Taliban to classify land it claims ownership over as “state land”, even if housing developments or residential settlements already exist there.

Article 11 imposes strict conditions for retaining ownership. It states that if a person who receives a land plot fails to take possession within six months or does not pay the price of a commercial property within three months, ownership rights will be revoked.

The article further states that if construction does not begin within three years, the Taliban may reclaim the land and cancel the allocation contract.

Under the law, individuals may own no more than four residential plots in reclaimed housing developments. The Taliban may confiscate any additional plots beyond that limit.

These provisions could pave the way for cancelling previous ownership rights and confiscating land where people have lived for years.

Articles 4 and 5 state that land prices will be determined solely according to regulations drafted by the Taliban, with residents having no role in setting or negotiating prices.

After returning to power, the Taliban established a commission to prevent land grabbing and recover allegedly seized land. However, reports indicate the group has confiscated and registered thousands of acres of private land in various regions under the label of “state-owned” property.

He said he had recently travelled to Afghanistan again and met with Amir Khan Muttaqi and other Taliban officials.

Writing on X on Wednesday, Yue said: “Good to visit Afghanistan again recent days meeting with Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi 11/5/26 and other high level officials. Both sides give positive assessment of Urumqi process ready working together for peace, security and common development.”

The Urumqi process refers to China-mediated talks between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan aimed at reducing border and security tensions.

The negotiations between Pakistani and Taliban representatives, held in the Chinese city of Urumqi from April 1-18, ended without tangible results, like previous talks in Doha, Istanbul and Riyadh.

Pakistan wants the Taliban to sever ties with Pakistani militant groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, the Afghan Taliban have resisted Islamabad’s demands due to concerns about the consequences of hostility with the TTP and the deep ethnic and ideological ties formed during two decades of war against the United States and the former Afghan government.

China’s envoy said the next round of talks between Pakistan and the Taliban in Urumqi should lead to “practical” outcomes.

A European Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday, May12, that Brussels had sent a letter to Kabul to arrange the meeting, stressing that the contacts are taking place only at a technical level and do not involve senior Taliban leaders.

The meeting is being coordinated by Sweden and follows earlier discussions between European officials and the Taliban on the return of Afghan migrants.

According to AFP, the invitation to Taliban representatives has faced criticism in Europe. Melissa Camara, Member of the European Parliament described the move as a profound retreat from the European Union’s values and fundamental rights and urged the European Commission not to cross the “red line” of legitimising the Taliban.

The Taliban regained power in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US-led forces in 2021, but the group has not been formally recognised by the European Union.

In recent months, around 20 EU member states seeking tougher migration policies have urged Brussels to find ways to return Afghan migrants, particularly those considered security threats.

Markus Lammert, European Commission spokesperson, said meetings with Taliban officials are taking place within that framework. He added that the talks focus on practical and diplomatic issues linked to deportations.

This comes as Afghanistan faces a severe humanitarian crisis. International organisations estimate that since 2023, more than five million Afghans, mostly forcibly returned, have gone back from Iran and Pakistan, many facing poverty, unemployment and homelessness.

Lisa Owen, an official from the International Rescue Committee, warned that returning Afghans to a country where much of the population faces food insecurity could put lives at risk.

The issue of visas for Taliban delegates has also been raised. Since the EU does not recognise the Taliban government, members of the delegation require special visas to travel to Brussels. Belgium said it was prepared to issue the visas as host of EU institutions.

The European Commission has not yet specified which Taliban representatives were invited or whether it will cover their travel and accommodation costs.

Afghans remain the largest group of asylum seekers in the EU, though many European countries have adopted tougher migration policies towards Afghans in recent years.

Since 2024, Germany has deported around 100 convicted Afghans to Afghanistan with Qatar’s assistance, while Austria previously hosted Taliban representatives in Vienna. Other European countries are now considering similar measures.

Meanwhile, migrant rights organisations have warned that such meetings could allow the Taliban to identify individuals due to be returned to Afghanistan, potentially endangering their rights and safety.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry confirmed the detention of Mansoor Niazi and Imran Danish but did not specify the reasons for their arrest.

TOLOnews had officially confirmed the detention of its journalists on Sunday, May 10. The network said Taliban officials told them further details would be released after “legal procedures” were completed.

The Taliban ministry stressed that no court affiliated with the group had yet issued a ruling on the two journalists and claimed reports circulating in the media about them were inaccurate.

Earlier, sources told Afghanistan International that Mansoor Niazi was detained on May 7, in Karte Char, Kabul, and transferred to an undisclosed location. Imran Danish, head of TOLOnews’ political section, was detained late on Saturday, May 9, near the network’s office in Wazir Akbar Khan.

Afghanistan International had also reported that after news of the arrests was published on the outlet’s social media accounts, the Moby Group office was surrounded by Taliban intelligence forces for more than six hours. The Committee to Protect Journalists also confirmed the incident.

Another journalist, Jawid Niazi, was detained on May 6, after being summoned to a Taliban intelligence office in Kabul, and no information about his whereabouts has since emerged.

The arrests have drawn strong reactions from media support organisations and press freedom advocates.

Afghanistan ranks 175th out of 180 countries on the global press freedom index. The Taliban also removed the word “freedom” from World Press Freedom Day observances, and no female journalists attended this year’s ceremony organised by the group.