Dozens Of Afghans Held For Months In Immigration Detention In Iraq
Several Afghan nationals say they have been held for months at a detention centre for foreign nationals in the Iraqi city of Karbala because they lack valid residency documents.
Several Afghan nationals say they have been held for months at a detention centre for foreign nationals in the Iraqi city of Karbala because they lack valid residency documents.
They say they remain unable to leave despite paying fines and covering the cost of return flights to Afghanistan, and are living in difficult conditions.
A video sent to Afghanistan International from the detention facility shows dozens of people crowded into a single room, with detainees struggling to find enough space to sleep.
Several detainees confirmed to Afghanistan International on Friday, 13 November, that approximately 40 Afghan nationals were being held at the facility.
One Afghan detainee said around 100 people, including nationals of other countries such as Pakistan, were being held in the same room.
He said overcrowding had left detainees without sufficient space to sleep.
Speaking on behalf of other detainees, the Afghan national said some had been held at the facility for between four and six months.
He said they had been detained for entering Iraq illegally. According to him, some had travelled to the country for religious pilgrimage, while others had gone in search of work.
The detainee said the Afghan nationals had paid their fines and covered the cost of air tickets to return to Afghanistan but had still been unable to leave Iraq.
He said approximately 10 detainees had been taken to the airport by two officials after paying for their tickets, only to be told that their flight had been cancelled.
The group was subsequently returned to the detention centre and was now being asked to pay for new tickets, he added.
According to the detainee, those affected do not have enough money to purchase replacement tickets, and no one has provided a clear explanation of what happened to the money they previously paid.
He also complained about the quality of food and living conditions at the facility, saying the detainees' concerns were not being addressed.
The Afghan national said the repatriation of detainees from some other countries, including Pakistan, was being processed more quickly, while Afghan nationals remained in uncertainty over their fate.
He called on Afghanistan's embassy and consulate in Iraq to intervene, address the detainees' situation and facilitate their return home.
Iraq's Interior Ministry previously announced that it had deported more than 32,000 foreign nationals for violating residency regulations between the beginning of the current calendar year and 19 October.
According to the ministry, more than 20,000 people were deported from Baghdad, while over 12,000 were expelled from other Iraqi provinces.
Amnesty International Australia has launched a campaign in support of Afghan women and girls, urging the Australian government to push for the recognition of gender apartheid under international law and hold the Taliban accountable for widespread violations of women's rights.
The campaign, titled "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence and Persecution in Afghanistan", will run from 25 November to 10 December, coinciding with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
Amnesty International Australia said the Taliban have systematically stripped women and girls of their fundamental rights since returning to power in August 2021.
The organisation highlighted the bans on girls attending secondary schools and universities, severe restrictions on women's employment and limitations on their freedom of movement.
It said the Taliban's policies were designed to exclude women from public life. Afghan women's rights activists have described these restrictions as "gender apartheid".
Amnesty International called on the Australian government to use its diplomatic and political influence to seek recognition of gender apartheid under international law and pursue accountability for violations of Afghan women's and girls' rights.
The organisation noted that Australia maintained a presence in Afghanistan for two decades as part of the US-led coalition and supported efforts to advance women's rights during that period.
It said the withdrawal of international forces had left Afghan women and girls facing serious risks, arguing that Australia had a responsibility not to abandon them.
As part of the campaign, members of the public are being encouraged to sign an open letter urging the Australian government to take a more active role in protecting the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Supporters are also being asked to share messages and personal accounts from Afghan women and girls on social media to help bring their experiences to the attention of the public and policymakers.
Amnesty International Australia warned that other international crises had pushed Afghanistan further from the global spotlight, reducing media coverage and political attention to the situation facing women and girls.
Working alongside Afghan women's rights activists, human rights defenders and international organisations, the campaign aims to renew international attention and strengthen calls for action to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Iranian media outlet IRAF has reported, citing unnamed sources, that the man behind an explosion targeting former Afghan commander Ahmad Khan Ghori in Mashhad was an agent of the Taliban's intelligence agency who had received orders from officials in Kabul.
In a report published on Thursday, 12 November, IRAF quoted what it described as reliable sources as saying the alleged attacker had been directly instructed by Taliban intelligence officials in Kabul to assassinate Ghori.
Iranian authorities have not publicly commented on allegations of Taliban involvement in the attack.
Ghori, a prominent former mujahideen commander from western Afghanistan and a close associate of Mohammad Ismail Khan, was injured in an explosion at his home in Mashhad on 1 November.
Initial reports suggested that a portable phone charger, commonly known as a power bank, belonging to one of his guests had exploded.
The guest, whom IRAF identified as the alleged attacker, died in hospital the following day from severe injuries sustained in the explosion.
The Taliban have also made no official comment on the incident.
People close to Ghori previously said they believed the explosion had been deliberately caused in an attempt to assassinate him.
The incident follows the killings of other former Afghan commanders opposed to the Taliban in Iran. Marouf Ghulami and General Ekramuddin Saree were previously killed in Mashhad and Tehran, respectively.
IRAF claimed that the incidents exposed what it described as the dangerous extent of Taliban intelligence activities on Iranian soil and their potential implications for Iran's national security.
The outlet also suggested that an investigation into the attack on Ghori could uncover evidence relating to other similar killings of former Afghan officials in Iran.
Concerns over the safety of former Afghan commanders living in Iran have grown following the attacks. Sources previously told Afghanistan International that several commanders had restricted their movements and increased security precautions after receiving threats.
Taliban officials have previously threatened to target opponents beyond Afghanistan's borders.
Mohammad Nabi Omari, the Taliban's deputy interior minister, previously claimed that the group could, if necessary, arrange for opponents abroad to be killed for as little as 500 Pakistani rupees.
Saeed Khosty, a former spokesperson for Taliban interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, also threatened Taliban opponents living abroad three years ago, warning that the group had hundreds of volunteers prepared to target its opponents outside Afghanistan.
Alexey Overchuk, Russia’s deputy prime minister, led a high-level delegation to meet Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, at the presidential palace after arriving in Kabul on Thursday, 12 November.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also welcomed the Russian deputy prime minister and his delegation at Kabul airport.
Russia’s current prime minister is Mikhail Mishustin, and the government includes 11 deputy prime ministers. Overchuk is one of them and is responsible for areas related to economic and regional integration across Eurasia.
The Taliban’s presidential palace said Baradar and Overchuk discussed expanding economic and trade relations, increasing joint investment and facilitating trade between the two countries.
According to the palace statement, Baradar invited Russian companies to invest in the extraction of Afghanistan’s mineral resources in cooperation with Afghan partners. He also called for bilateral trade to increase in line with the economic potential of both countries.
The Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs pointed to Afghanistan’s geographical location, natural resources and 24 million people of working age, describing the country as having significant potential for economic growth and joint investment.
Baradar also proposed cooperation in establishing industrial parks that meet international standards, increasing joint industrial investment, building specialised hospitals, renovating and expanding existing healthcare facilities, and establishing factories to produce medicines and medical equipment.
He said Afghanistan also had the potential to increase exports of agricultural products to Russia, including pine nuts, figs, saffron, grapes, pomegranates and cotton, and welcomed Russian investment in agriculture and livestock farming.
Overchuk said trade between Russia and Afghanistan reached about $350 million in the first eight months of 2026. According to him, the figure doubled compared with the same period last year, while imports of Afghan fruit and vegetables into Russia have begun.
The Taliban’s presidential palace said the Russian delegation would also meet the Taliban prime minister and officials from several ministries during the visit. The talks are expected to cover political, economic, trade and transit relations, as well as investment opportunities in Afghanistan.
Russia recognised the Taliban government on 1 July 2025, becoming the first country to do so. Political and economic contacts between the two sides have increased since then.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov called for coordinated efforts among Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) members to counter cross-border threats from Afghanistan.
He also urged support for the country's economic recovery and humanitarian needs.
Speaking at a CSTO leaders' summit in Moscow on Thursday, Japarov reaffirmed Kyrgyzstan's commitment to strengthening collective security and expanding practical cooperation among member states.
Referring to joint military exercises held across the region and Kyrgyzstan's readiness to host CSTO joint activities in 2027, he placed particular emphasis on combating terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and organised crime.
He stressed the need to strengthen cooperation among relevant agencies, including through the CSTO's Canal counter-narcotics operation.
Japarov specifically addressed the situation in Afghanistan, emphasising the importance of coordinated efforts to counter cross-border threats originating from the country, support its economic reconstruction and address its humanitarian challenges.
The Kyrgyz president also referred to Kyrgyzstan's upcoming membership of the United Nations Security Council for 2027-2028, expressing his country's readiness to engage constructively with partners on regional security and preventive diplomacy.
During the summit, leaders of CSTO member states signed 18 documents aimed at expanding cooperation and strengthening collective security.
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation is a Russia-led military and security alliance comprising Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who also attended the Moscow summit, emphasised the need to strengthen border security along the frontier with Afghanistan.
He called for intensified efforts to combat terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational organised crime.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also said at the summit that Moscow was closely monitoring developments in Afghanistan.
According to Putin, the situation in Afghanistan holds particular importance in the organisation's plans to ensure the security of member states' borders.
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) has warned of growing terrorist activity, drug trafficking and the risk of conflict in the region following a joint meeting of foreign and defence ministers, and security council secretaries in Moscow.
The meeting also highlighted the need to strengthen collective defence capabilities and address emerging security challenges.
According to a statement from Russia's Foreign Ministry, the meeting was held on Tuesday, 10 November, chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The CSTO comprises six member states: Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Participants reviewed the security situation across CSTO member states and neighbouring regions, discussing measures to combat cybercrime, irregular migration and terrorist threats.
The meeting also saw the preparation of documents aimed at strengthening the organisation's military capabilities, including the development of joint air forces, air defence systems and biological security measures. The documents are expected to be submitted to the Collective Security Council for final approval.
Officials also announced that Tajikistan would host the next meeting of CSTO foreign ministers in the first half of 2027.
Tajikistan shares a border of more than 1,300 kilometres with Afghanistan, much of it running through mountainous and difficult terrain along the Panj River.
CSTO officials have repeatedly warned that the presence of terrorist and extremist groups in northern Afghanistan, particularly Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), could pose a direct threat to Central Asia and the organisation's member states.
CSTO members have expressed concern that terrorist threats, drug trafficking and extremist infiltration could spread from Afghanistan into their territories. Strengthening border security has therefore become one of their main priorities.
As part of these efforts, the organisation has launched a five-year intergovernmental programme to reinforce security along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border.
Under the programme, CSTO members, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, are expected to supply Tajikistan with weapons, military equipment and technical border protection systems by the end of 2026.
The initiative is intended to strengthen Tajikistan's border defences and prevent security threats originating in Afghanistan from spreading into neighbouring countries.