Iraq’s Delay in Announcing Arbaeen Guidelines Threatens Afghan Pilgrims’ Participation
The head of the non-governmental Afghanistan Arbaeen Coordination Committee has warned that Iraq’s continued delay in issuing special guidelines for Arbaeen could prevent a large number of Afghan pilgrims from taking part in the event. According to him, last year, due to the absence of clear directives, virtually no Afghan pilgrims were able to attend Arbaeen.
Seyyed Reza Hosseini Meysam told IRAQ that delegations from Afghanistan have traveled to Iraq to negotiate easing visa issuance and entry for pilgrims, requesting that conditions similar to some previous years be established. He added that initial approvals have been mentioned, but no final decision has yet been announced by Baghdad.
He explained that the only existing regulation is the directive issued at the beginning of the month of Muharram, which allows Afghans to obtain an Iraqi electronic visa valid until the end of the month of Safar. However, Hosseini emphasized that for the Arbaeen days, usually a separate directive is issued that determines whether the visa is free or not, the method of individual or manifest visa issuance, and the effective timing of the regulation — matters that remain unclear.
This uncertainty, according to the head of the Arbaeen Coordination Committee, has complicated the planning of pilgrim caravans, ticket purchases, and accommodation reservations. He said that the visa issuance process is time-consuming and even if an agreement is announced in the coming days, it is likely that some pilgrims will not be able to arrive in time for the Arbaeen rituals.
Hosseini also explained that Afghan pilgrims need not only Iraqi visas but also transit or pilgrimage visas for Iran, which depend on having an Iraqi visa. He noted that if the situation persists, some pilgrims might enter Iraq several days after Arbaeen and only be able to visit the holy shrines during the remaining days until the end of Safar.
Regarding travel costs, he said expenses include visas, transportation, accommodation, and food, with service caravans collecting these costs fully, while some pilgrims prefer to pay only the visa fee and cover other expenses during the journey.
In another part of his remarks, Hosseini addressed the situation of Afghans residing in Iran, stating that their affairs are handled through Iran’s Ministry of Interior and the Foreign Nationals Affairs Center, with the Afghanistan Arbaeen Coordination Committee having no responsibility in this regard. He added that holders of legal documents can travel via sponsorship offices and by obtaining a servant document, although recent reports have surfaced about restrictions on entry for some single individuals traveling to Iraq.
The Arbaeen ceremony is held annually in Karbala with millions of pilgrims participating, and a significant portion of Afghan pilgrims travel to Iraq via Iran.
