Afghan PM urges exiles to return following Trump travel ban

Shafaq News/ Afghanistan’s government called on nationals abroad to return home, promising safety even for those who worked with US forces, according to a speech aired Saturday.

US President Donald Trump had signed an executive order earlier banning travel from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, citing the lack of competent authorities to process passports and conduct security vetting.

In response, Prime Minister Hassan Akhund addressed the nation during Eid al-Adha celebrations, assuring returnees of protection under a general amnesty declared by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. “Even if you served the Americans for decades… you will not face abuse or trouble,” Akhund said in a speech broadcast on state media.

The call for return comes amid continued reports by the United Nations of extrajudicial killings and abuses, despite the Taliban’s 2021 pledge of amnesty for former government and military personnel.

The Taliban administration has imposed Islamic law since taking power in 2021, drawing condemnation for bans on women’s education and employment that the UN has described as “gender apartheid.”

Afghan migration routes have also narrowed sharply under Trump’s renewed presidency. The United States closed its embassy in Kabul in 2021, and Afghans must now seek visas in third countries—primarily Pakistan, which has stepped up expulsions of undocumented Afghans.