By Amjad Qaimkhani
UNITED NATION: The United Nations has warned that the risk of human trafficking, exploitation and forced labor in Afghanistan has reached unprecedented levels as the country continues to face economic hardship, mass refugee returns and growing social restrictions.
The warning was issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which said vulnerable Afghan communities were increasingly becoming targets of criminal networks involved in exploitation and trafficking.
The UN said the return of large numbers of refugees, combined with a deepening economic crisis and restrictions on women’s rights, had created conditions in which many Afghans were at greater risk of abuse. Millions of people struggling to meet their basic needs have become vulnerable to traffickers who exploit poverty and desperation.
According to the UN agencies, the economic collapse has increased cases of debt bondage, forced labor, forced marriages and other forms of exploitation. Officials also warned that organ trafficking remained among the serious threats facing vulnerable groups.
Criminal networks were also using deception, threats and coercion to force Afghan citizens into illegal activities, including scam operations and online fraud schemes, the UN said. Many victims were reportedly lured with false promises of employment before being trapped in exploitative conditions.
IOM Chief of Mission in Afghanistan Mihyung Park said the unprecedented return of Afghan refugees had placed enormous pressure on already struggling communities. She warned that shortages of employment opportunities, limited access to essential services and worsening living conditions were pushing more people towards unsafe and illegal survival options.
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