UK Envoy Meets Senior Taliban Official Over Afghan Migrant Crisis
Richard Lindsay, the UK’s special representative for Afghanistan, met with senior Taliban official Mawlawi Abdul Kabir in Kabul on Monday to discuss the conditions of returning Afghan migrants and the growing humanitarian crisis in the country.
During the meeting, Lindsay welcomed the recent agreement between Pakistan and the Taliban administration and expressed hope that both sides would take joint steps toward achieving lasting peace. This comes amid widespread international criticism over the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and the lack of voluntary return options.
Lindsay also warned that the mass return of migrants, combined with recent natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, has significantly increased humanitarian needs in Afghanistan. He urged for immediate attention to the worsening situation.
In response, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir claimed the Taliban administration is utilizing all available resources to address the needs of returnees, describing the construction of residential settlements as essential. According to the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, the Taliban official called on the UK to assist in the development of these housing projects.
Such meetings come as the Taliban, despite lacking international recognition, seek to use the migrant crisis as a means to gain support from Western countries—a strategy that has so far not been backed by concrete action from the group.
