Long Queues and Women’s Passport Issues in Afghanistan  
Long Queues and Women’s Passport Issues in Afghanistan  
Some women in Herat province complain about long queues and delays in obtaining passports. These women say that the long wait for obtaining passports has exhausted them, and some who needed to travel abroad for medical treatment have faced significant health challenges.

Some women in Herat province complain about long queues and delays in obtaining passports. These women say that the long wait for obtaining passports has exhausted them, and some who needed to travel abroad for medical treatment have faced significant health challenges.

A 50-year-old woman, one of the passport applicants who needed to travel abroad for medical treatment, lost an eye due to the delay in obtaining a passport and now must endure long passport queues to treat her remaining eye.

She says: “My eyes needed surgery, and there were not enough facilities in the country for me to have the operation. That’s why I had to go abroad, but I couldn’t get my passport on time. My condition was not good, and I lost one eye. Now I want to get the passport sooner so I don’t lose my other eye.”

Many passport applicants mention that they fill out online forms months in advance and wait for months until their turn comes.

Soraya Danesh, another passport applicant, managed to obtain her passport after a year of waiting.

“I registered online last year, but after a year and enduring long and chaotic queues where I even fell in the crowd, I faced many challenges to get my passport. One of our major problems as people is that we never adhere to order and rules. As much as the passport process is prolonged, it is the people themselves who make the situation much harder with their disorderliness,” Soraya said.

Abdul Matin Qane, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the Taliban, has stated on his official page: “The Herat province passport department distributed over 130,000 passports in the past year, generating more than 850 million Afghanis for the government treasury.”

During the past two years, a significant number of Afghan citizens have unprecedentedly applied for passports. In this period, the passport distribution process was halted several times in various provinces, leading to strong reactions from the people. Currently, the conditions for obtaining passports in Afghanistan have become more challenging and time-consuming compared to the past.

  • نویسنده : Afghanistan Women News Agency
  • منبع خبر : Afghanistan Women News Agency