The Afghan Passport Office has become a hub for institutionalized exploitation. Powered by Taliban government, bribery and fraud has also been a problem in the office. According to recent accusations, there is a troubling trend of widespread bribery and workplace maltreatment. Administrative failure has also been widespread, requiring clients to endure lengthy, unforeseen procedures.
According to the Passport Office reports, seven staff members were abruptly fired. It is worrisome to note that most of these people are of Hazara background. The Tajik heritage of the one of the seven raises the possibility of prejudice against ethno-minorities.
Reports of extreme physical torture cause the situation to deteriorate. Two male workers were charged with document falsification. One of them became paralyzed after they were brutally beaten with electric lines.
Requests for official remarks from the media have been met with resistance. Transparency was suppressed when authorities requested that the names of whistle-blowers be revealed.
In a specific case, the assistant Technical Director of the Office harasses female employees. People describe instances in which Rahimi called them “female sheep.” In one case, he kicked a female worker’s counter, causing her to get an eye trauma. The chief of the passport office received complaints from two female workers. Rahimi was then compelled to pay the wounded worker 1,000 Afghanis. Rahimi’s activities have mainly gone unpunished despite criticism from other staff members.
The Passport Office is now rife with fraud. Candidates are frequently forced to pay astronomical bribes. Bribes frequently total hundreds of dollars. In a nation in which the median yearly salary is around $500, that is a substantial amount.
The extent of this fraud is acknowledged even by Taliban authorities. The deputy head of the Taliban’s passport bureau acknowledged making more than 350 arrests. Many agency workers were arrested on corruption-related allegations.
Post-Taliban Dysfunction
The procedure of issuing passports in Afghanistan was comparatively effective before the Taliban took control in 2021. Passports were normally issued to clients in a couple of days. But since then, the process has significantly degraded.
Its own passports have not been granted by the Taliban four years after takeover of power in the country. Afghan passports are now issued overseas and retain the former administration’s insignia and information. During the same time, the Taliban altered their formal symbols, national flag, and insignia.
As more people try to flee the repressive government, requests for passports have increased. The process was boosted by the country’s declining economic prospects and dwindling optimism.
In just two months, the Taliban-run passport agency claimed to have made almost $26 million from passport issuance. Taliban officials claim that up to 100,000 passports are being issued to civilians monthly.
This money infusion hasn’t, nevertheless, resulted in better services. Candidates must wait for long weeks due to lengthy delays. During the procedure, they endure abuse and blackmail.
The work environment’s dysfunction is made worse by the lack of an authority figure and ailing power dynamics. The official in charge of the Passport Office has been replaced three times since the Taliban took back control.
