dpa
Islamabad
The Taliban’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, has issued a decree instructing government institutions to combat human trafficking in Afghanistan.
In a statement on Sunday, Taliban Deputy Government Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said that the decree directs the Interior Ministry to identify, arrest, and prosecute human traffickers in military courts across the country.
The decree stipulates prison sentences of one to three years for smugglers who help - and exploit - Afghans desperate to leave the country, often using dangerous routes.
Afghanistan has a large diaspora, with an estimated 5.7 million Afghan refugees living abroad, primarily in neighbouring countries.
Decades of war and instability have forced millions of Afghans to flee their homes.
The Taliban’s return to power in August 2021
triggered a new wave of displacement, with tens of thousands of people leaving the country.