Taliban offers amnesty, urges Afghans abroad to return home

NEW YORK  – Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund has announced a general amnesty for Afghans who fled the country after the fall of the Western-backed government in 2021. In a message marking Eid al-Adha, Akhund called on all Afghans living abroad to return, assuring them they would not be harmed.

In his statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Akhund said, “Afghans who have left the country should return to their homeland. Nobody will harm them.” He urged people to come back and “live in an atmosphere of peace.” He also instructed Taliban officials to assist returnees by offering shelter and support services.

This announcement comes just days after former U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a travel ban on 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The ban severely limits opportunities for Afghans to resettle or study in the United States, adding pressure to those who had hoped to escape persecution or seek a better future abroad.

Meanwhile, many Afghans waiting for resettlement in Pakistan face deportation as Islamabad continues a crackdown on undocumented foreigners. Nearly one million Afghans have left Pakistan since October 2023 to avoid arrest or forced removal, deepening the uncertainty for thousands of displaced families.

Akhund also criticized the international media in his Eid message, claiming it paints an unfair picture of Taliban rule. “We must not allow the torch of the Islamic system to be extinguished,” he said, urging journalists to avoid “false judgments” and instead highlight what he called the system’s accomplishments.

Since regaining control of Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban’s rule has prompted a wave of emigration. Former government officials, activists, journalists, and those who worked with U.S. forces were among the tens of thousands who fled the country. Now, the Taliban is attempting to reverse that exodus with promises of peace and security at home.