Russia Rejects Widespread Acceptance of Afghan Workers Citing Security Concerns
Russia has announced that due to security concerns and the lack of control mechanisms, it currently cannot accept a large number of migrant workers from Afghanistan. Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, expressed this position in an interview with the RIA Novosti news agency.
Kabulov emphasized that Moscow cannot open its doors to a large number of people over whom it cannot ensure proper control and supervision. According to him, there are currently no legal guarantees or defined operational mechanisms for such a process, and this situation is not compatible with Russian laws.
The Russian special envoy warned that if migration from Afghanistan is not properly managed, there is a risk of infiltration by “various elements, including harmful actors” among the migrants. He said that any program on this issue must be precisely organized, regulated, and supervised—something for which no clear plan currently exists.
These statements come after Hassan Gul Hassan, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Russia, previously announced talks between Kabul and Russian officials about the possibility of employing Afghan workers in the agricultural sector. However, Kabulov said that this explanation has been clearly communicated to the Afghan ambassador.
According to the Russian official, the current quota for Afghan laborers in Russia is very limited, encompassing about 80 people per year; a figure that suggests the prospect of accepting a large number of Afghan migrant workers is unlikely, at least in the near future.
