The U.S. State Department has released its annual Trafficking in Persons report, revealing alarming details about the situation in Afghanistan.
In the report, published Tuesday, September 30, the department said that members of religious and ethnic minorities, including Hazara Shia, Ahmadis, Sikhs, Hindus, and Baha’is, face growing risks of trafficking and exploitation due to threats from the Taliban and armed groups such as ISIS-K.
The report noted that many members of these communities have been forced into hiding or compelled to flee the country, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to traffickers.
According to the findings, Afghan men, women, and children seeking work in neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan, often turn to brokers, but some are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.
The report also highlighted that thousands of Afghans deported or returned from Iran and Pakistan remain at high risk of exploitation due to dire economic conditions.
Children, especially boys, have been forced into hazardous labor and even drawn into organized crime. Afghan children in Iran, the report said, are coerced into begging, forced labor, and drug trafficking by traffickers.
In addition, the Taliban and other armed groups continue to unlawfully recruit children, deploying them in combat and military operations.
The crisis has been further compounded by severe Taliban restrictions on women and girls, which limit access to education and employment, heightening their vulnerability to trafficking and forced marriages.
Experts warn that Afghanistan’s political and economic instability, combined with the Taliban’s repressive policies, has created fertile ground for human trafficking. They stressed that the international community must take urgent and comprehensive measures to protect victims and confront this growing crisis.
