KABUL - As the country's economy tumbles and unemployment rises in war-hit Afghanistan, embassies of some countries such as Iran and Turkey are being swamped with people applying for visas to transit through their countries in a bid to reach Europe.
Many Afghans, who stood in line for hours on Wednesday, told TOLOnews that they were disillusioned with government for not providing them with job opportunities. Many said that they had no choice but to take a risk and flee to Europe – despite knowing they were putting their lives at risk.
One Kabul resident, Aminullah said that four years ago there were hardly any people applying for visas when he last visited the embassy. "There were only about 20 people at this embassy when I visited here in 2011 but now the number has surged."
Owners of transportation companies meanwhile said they can transport up to 1,200 people on a daily bases – half of which make it across the border into Iran.
"Hundreds of passengers manage to cross the border on a daily basis; but about 300 people are deported and we transfer them back to Kabul. They [the deported ones] say they are treated inhumanly on the other side of the border," said Sayed Alem, the head of a transport company.
Saeed a resident of Nimroz said: "Our house is near the border and close to a hospital. At least five bodies are transferred to the hospital from the other side of the border from Iran every day. The youth are killed and I don't think that their families get the bodies of their loved ones."
Saeed urged government to call on the people to stop leaving the country.
Meanwhile, one Afghan who had Traveled through Iran and Turkey to reach Europe has spoken out about the hardships faced during the arduous journey. "I wanted to go to Turkey and then reach Germany. We were 26 families in total. We were stopped by robbers. They asked for $2,000 USD from each person. We escaped but some of the families are still in the custody of the robbers," Mohammad Hassan, one hopeful migrant who turned back told TOLOnews.
According to unconfirmed reports, more than 7,000 Afghans have left the country over the past three months. The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has however no figures and were not able to confirm this. (Tolonews)