Migration and Challenges

Over five million Afghans live abroad. After Syrians, Afghans are now the second largest inflow of migrants and asylum seekers, registered and unregistered, in Europe.

The central passport office in Kabul issues around 2,500 passports every day, according to an official who works there. Outside in the street, a seemingly endless queue of people have been waiting in line since dusk for a passport. Some of them shared their experiences and told us why they want to leave.

Hashmat

Hashmat is from Faryab province and was recently deported back to Afghanistan from Germany. While waiting to get a passport for his newly born daughter, he was advising people not to leave their countries.

He says, “I sold my land, my house and everything I had and migrated to Europe. I destroyed my life. I have five kids and they were about to sink in sea. We had no worth there, we had to move from one camp to another.”

Hashmat and his family is now back in Afghanistan and loves his country. He advises anybody against travelling illegally.

“When I landed in my country, I kissed its soil,” says Hashmat.

Asif Mohammadi

Asif waits in the queue for his turn to enter the passport office. He is one of those that wants to go to the west. He will leave as soon as he gets a passport.

“Migrants are mostly encouraged by their friends and families. I believe we'll have a very safe and comfortable life.”

Nawroz Ahmadi

Nawroz's brother recently went to the west, but now wants to return to Afghanistan. Now he tells Nawroz that he regrets his decision.

Nawroz said, “If you want to go to Germany, you need at least 10,000 US$. It is a lot of money. With the same money, you can open a small business here. My younger brother spent nearly 10,000 US$, but now he regrets it because he has no job.”

Zabi Azmon

Zabi, a university graduate, is fed-up applying for jobs. He thinks that unemployment is the main driver for emigration.

“The reason people leave the country is unemployment. Some people sell their house and others leave behind all their belongings and dependents and go to Europe. They may have heard good things about life in Europe, but the sound made by a distant drum sounds nicer than it does close up".

TORYALAI JAFFARY

Toryalai, a father of two, is a returnee from Germany. He is one of those who spent thousands of dollars and managed to reach the west but then lost it all. He is now trying to resettle in Kabul.

Toryalai recalls when people traffickers were driving him and 17 other people through the jungle in an SUV.

“One of us was so sick, we thought he was dying, so we shouted to the driver to stop the car, he just turned up the music and drove even faster. Traffickers don't care about anyone’s life.”

UNDP will work with businesses through its Support to Afghan Livelihoods and Mobility (SALAM) project and create sustainable job opportunities for young people who want to stay in the country and find safe and legal ways to work abroad and send money home, do entrepreneurial/vocational training and apprenticeships and work placements.

With Initial funding from Finland SALAM will be implemented as a joint intervention between UNDP, ILO and UNHCR and in full partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) to reflect the common goals of a variety of actors while recognizing and maintaining their separate mandates and areas of expertise and to seek durable solutions for Afghans in line with the Government’s vision and strategies for employment generation and labour migration.

Video

Watch a 3-minutes video on addressing migration: