The Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that foreign nationals currently in Afghanistan may remain if they have visas issued by the embassies of the former Afghan government.
However, moving forward, entry into Afghanistan will only be permitted for foreign citizens holding visas obtained from embassies that are recognised and cooperate with the Taliban administration.
The ministry clarified that consular services provided by Afghanistan's diplomatic missions in countries including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, Australia, and in the cities of Bonn and Berlin, are now deemed "invalid."
The Taliban attributed this decision to "administrative corruption," "lack of transparency," and "lack of coordination" with their Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul.
Currently, only the consular services from Afghanistan's embassies in Spain, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic are considered valid, as these missions coordinate with the Taliban.
This measure is a part of the Taliban's broader effort to gain control over Afghanistan's international diplomatic missions. As a result, many Afghan migrants may now face the inconvenience of traveling long distances, potentially hundreds or thousands of kilometers, to obtain, renew, or verify consular documents.
The Coordination Council of Afghan Embassies and Consulates criticised the Taliban's new policy as "short-sighted," noting the additional hardships it imposes on Afghan migrants.
Over the past three years, the Taliban had accepted consular documents from all Afghan diplomatic missions but had also encouraged these missions to collaborate with their Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
