Local sources in Herat province report that the Taliban intend to forcibly relocate thousands of families from Andisha Town in this province. They add that since the beginning of 1404 Hijri Year (March 21, 2025), the Taliban have officially declared this town, whose population is predominantly Hazara, as “state-owned.” According to these sources, Andisha Town was established around 20 years ago and now houses nearly 10,000 homes. They emphasize that Andisha Town is one of the largest residential areas on the outskirts of Herat city.
Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, say the Taliban have sold a Hazara-owned cemetery in the town to a company whose manager is based in Kandahar. They claim that over the past four days, the Taliban have been mapping the cemetery and plan to replace it with an industrial complex. The sources add that the Taliban obtained approval from the Herat governor to implement this plan.
A local source in Herat stated that for the past four days, the Taliban have been mapping the cemeteries in Andisha Town. He added that the town is primarily inhabited by Hazaras and that the cemeteries are to be replaced with an industrial complex.
This source, who requested anonymity, said: “The Taliban ask people to return from Iran to Afghanistan, but we who have recently crossed back from Iran have neither work permits nor housing. I have purchased land in this area and hold official deeds, but they do not allow construction.”
The resident of Andisha Town added, “I have seen many returnees living under tents because they do not have houses. Even renting a home is impossible.” He said the Taliban plan to forcibly relocate the residents of Andisha Town.
Another source claims that Andisha Town was built nearly 20 years ago, and all houses have official deeds and construction permits. However, since the beginning of the 1404 Hijri Year (March 21, 2025), the Taliban have declared the area “state-owned” because most of its residents are Hazaras.
This source further says that the Taliban have even sold Hazara cemeteries to make way for an industrial complex for a company. He adds, “The Taliban want to forcibly relocate the residents of Andisha Town because the entire town is Hazara-inhabited. The town was built nearly 20 years ago and has deeds and construction permits, but since 1404 SH (March 21, 2025), the Taliban have declared the area state-owned solely because the majority of its residents are Hazaras.”
Meanwhile, a resident of Herat province posted on Facebook about the potential forced relocation of residents from several residential neighborhoods west of the industrial town. He wrote: “Today, I was on a high point and could see five neighborhoods west of the industrial town that I was observing. I remembered rumors that the land of these five neighborhoods has been declared state-owned.” He also shared a photo, noting: “This image was taken from a central point and shows only the eastern side, yet it includes thousands of homes. Now imagine how many more houses might exist on the other three sides.”
At the same time, human rights and media activists have warned that these actions constitute a blatant violation of property rights, freedom of movement, and human dignity, with serious implications for social security and national cohesion.
Rahimullah Karimi, a human rights activist, says that forcibly evicting Hazaras from their residential areas is a clear violation of human rights and an affront to their dignity. He adds: “These actions are carried out without legal procedures, without residents’ consent, and with ethnic and religious motives. They are not only contrary to human rights principles but also foster social instability and deepen ethnic divisions in the country.”
Marziya Mohammadi, another human rights activist, describes the forced relocation of Andisha Town residents as a “continuation of a silent genocide” against the Hazara community. She calls on the international community and independent media to not remain silent, warning that silence in the face of the Taliban’s decisions amounts to complicity in crimes.
She adds, “Once again, the Taliban’s forced relocation of Hazaras in Herat exposes a bitter reality. This is not a simple displacement; it is part of a silent genocide that has targeted the Hazara people for years—from Bamyan to Ghazni, from Daikundi to Herat. Hazaras have repeatedly faced forced relocations, ethnic exclusion, and systematic discrimination. This tragedy does not concern only the Hazara people; if the world ignores their suffering today, tomorrow it could be other ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Through these policies, the Taliban not only violate the fundamental rights of one ethnic group but steer the country toward division and destruction.”
Atifa Ayubi, a civil activist, says: “The Taliban’s policies, which began in Bamyan and Ghor, will gradually isolate people. Communities living in fear, anxiety, and distress will never have a peaceful life. Today, Hazaras are targeted; tomorrow, Tajiks and other ethnic groups may face similar situations, and this pattern may spread to other provinces.”
These statements come amid growing concerns over targeted forced relocations in ethnically specific areas, particularly within Hazara communities.
Previous reports have also documented multiple instances of forced relocation by the Taliban. In one case, in Rashk village, the Punjab district of Bamyan province, at least 25 Hazara families were forcibly evicted from their homes.
According to reports, this occurred after a Taliban court ruling in favor of nomadic Kuchi groups. It is said that Taliban forces, along with the Kuchis, entered the area, locked the houses, and forcibly removed family belongings from the homes.
In addition to Hazaras, other ethnic groups have also been forcibly relocated by the Taliban. Last year, more than 600 families were displaced from their main areas in the Dawlatyar district of Ghor province.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
کوچ اجباری در هرات؛ طالبان قبرستانها را هم به سرمایهداران واگذار کردهاند
