Afghan refugees are not a burden on host countries, says minister

Maulawi Abdul Kabir, Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, has stressed that Afghan refugees are not a burden on host countries, but rather make meaningful economic contributions.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony at a religious school in Paktia, he said that any assistance provided by host countries to Afghan refugees in the past was driven by their own interests.

“Afghans earn their own livelihoods; they own factories and shops,” he said. “No country in the world can claim that Afghans are a burden. Did Afghans go door to door asking for handouts? Did they engage in theft? Host countries collect taxes from Afghans and use that revenue to develop their own economies.”

Maulawi Abdul Kabir urged Afghan migrants to return home and resume their economic activities freely.

“We call on investors abroad: if you are living without dignity, return and invest in Afghanistan willingly,” he said. “Rehabilitate land, expand agriculture, create jobs for the people, and help make wheat cheaper.”

His remarks come amid ongoing calls by some neighboring countries for the return of Afghan migrants, often portraying them as a burden on host societies.