A top Taliban official, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund, announced that all Afghans who left the country after the fall of the Western-backed government are welcome to return without fear of harm. This amnesty offer was made during his message for Eid al-Adha, coinciding with U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent travel ban affecting Afghans wishing to resettle in the United States. The ban includes those seeking temporary entry for education and effectively suspends the core refugee program for Afghans who had allied with the U.S. during its two-decade engagement in Afghanistan.
Akhund’s holiday message, shared on the social media platform X, urged expatriates to return to their homeland, promising peace and support services for returning refugees. The statement comes amidst ongoing challenges faced by Afghans in neighboring Pakistan, where many are dealing with a deportation drive by the government, causing an exodus of nearly one million Afghans since October 2023.
In his comments, Akhund criticized the media for what he described as “false judgments” about the Taliban regime and emphasized the necessity of maintaining Islamic governance in Afghanistan despite existing challenges. The Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021 led to a chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans seeking to escape the new regime, including former officials, journalists, and activists.
Akhund’s appeal aims to reassure returnees of their safety, emphasizing the need for proper management of services for them to reintegrate into Afghan society. He called for vigilance in upholding the Islamic system, reflecting the Taliban’s resolve to solidify its authority and address internal and external perceptions of its governance.
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