Afghans returning to their homeland are seizing opportunities to secure employment in Qatar under an expanded job initiative.
In a significant move to address Afghanistan's ongoing unemployment crisis, Qatar has expanded its job opportunities for returning Afghans, particularly those who have been deported or forced to leave neighboring countries like Iran and Pakistan.
According to UN agencies, approximately 1.5 to 2.1 million Afghans have returned to their homeland this year alone, a figure that is expected to exacerbate Afghanistan's endemic poverty. The influx of returning Afghans has put immense pressure on the already struggling Afghan economy, which is grappling with one of the world's worst humanitarian crises marked by deep poverty, food insecurity, and collapsing public services.
In an effort to provide some relief, Qatar has announced around 1,800 to over 3,100 job roles in sectors such as management, engineering, hospitality, mechanics, food service, and other skilled trades. These jobs are specifically targeted at Afghans who have been deported or pressured to leave neighboring countries, as well as those struggling with unemployment in Afghanistan itself.
The Afghan Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, under the Taliban administration, is coordinating with Qatari authorities for the legal deployment of these workers, starting with an initial group of around 2,000. Registration centers have opened in major Afghan cities such as Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, and Nangarhar, focusing on refugees who were expelled from Iran and Pakistan.
Since Wednesday, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in Afghanistan has received 8,000 applications for these Qatari jobs, with expected numbers rising as registration continues. The jobs span 22 job categories and prioritize legally formalizing Afghan labor migration.
By providing Afghan workers with stable jobs abroad, especially in Qatar, the initiative helps alleviate unemployment pressure at home and generates remittances that support families and the broader economy. This labor export is an important but partial economic relief in a situation where forced returns and the lack of domestic job opportunities are prevalent.
This arrangement also reflects Qatar's intent to diversify its labor pool beyond recent event-driven demand spikes. The current unemployment rate in Afghanistan is over 13%, affecting nearly a quarter of young people aged 15 to 29, according to the World Bank. This initiative by Qatar is a significant step towards addressing the unemployment crisis and providing much-needed economic benefits to the struggling Afghan economy.
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