Key Points
- A Taliban decree from 30 July is being enforced, blocking those carrying passports it deems invalid.
- The decree affects passports and other documents issued by embassies in Australia and 13 other countries.
- Afghan community leaders are calling staff at the Afghan embassy in Canberra to resolve the 'problem'.
Ahmad* was forced to endure a "frustrating" layover at Abu Dhabi airport with his family, and pay thousands in extra fees, after his passport wasn't accepted for a flight into Afghanistan in early August.
Unlike his wife and children who travelled with their Australian passports, Ahmad was carrying his Afghan passport which had been extended on 22 July at the Afghan embassy in Canberra.
He was stopped at the gate, in what appeared to be the enforcement of a to not recognise documents issued by Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions set up by the former, Western-backed government.
The Taliban said it would not honour passports, visas and other documents issued by diplomats associated with the previous administration.
Ahmad said he was unaware that his passport would be deemed invalid as it was extended before 30 July.
"On 22 July, I extended my passport at the Afghan embassy, [paid $350] in Canberra and on 8 August, I had a flight from Melbourne to Afghanistan, where my transit was in Abu Dhabi. When I arrived in Abu Dhabi, I wasn’t granted permission to fly from to Kabul," he told SBS Pashto and SBS Dari.
"[Afghan airline] Kam Air said 'you are not allowed to fly [to Afghanistan]'. Only I was not allowed because I was holding an Afghan passport but my wife and my children had Australian passports."
Even though Ahmad's family was granted permission to board, they missed their flight due to his passport issue.
Ahmad parted ways with his family, and travel to Pakistan, hoping to cross into neighbouring Afghanistan - an option through a third country available to those who renewed their passport before the Taliban decree was announced.
"I stayed for about 10 hours at Abu Dhabi airport with my wife and children.
"After that, I decided to send my family to Kabul on the next flight and I went to Pakistan."
He was granted a visa to enter Pakistan that night at a cost of $1,200, despite the usual rate for Afghan passport holders of $12.
Ahmad eventually made it to Afghanistan, but described the episode as "hurtful".
Taliban refuses some travel documents
The Afghan embassy in Canberra has continued to provide consular services to Afghan nationals in Australia, despite not having formal relations with the Taliban.
The 30 July decree affects services rendered by the embassy, including the issue of passports, passport renewal stickers, visas and endorsements.
Consular missions in 13 countries were also affected, including those in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece and Canada.
The Taliban said it had asked overseas missions to "engage with Kabul to at least address consular services-related issues of Afghans", adding that the missions continued to carry out services "without coordination".
SBS Pashto understands that the decree enforcement stemmed from a breakdown in communication between the embassy diplomats in Canberra, who were appointed by the previous Afghan government, and the Taliban government.
Similarly, the , which was why it hadn't accepted the Taliban’s ambassador, head of consular services, or diplomats.
Even though the Australian government does not recognise the Taliban, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong in July introduced a new
The Taliban says it will not recognise consular documents issued by Afghan embassies in Canberra and 13 other cities. Credit: SBS Pashto / Mujeeb Muneeb
"If you are coming from one of these 13 countries [where the diplomatic missions have no contact with the Taliban], be sure to call and get more information," he said.
"This will help you avoid issues that can waste your money and time and will be very frustrating."
Ismael Shah Niazi is a Melbourne-based Afghan travel agent who has been providing services to the community since 2005.
He explained that the Taliban had instructed airlines operating to Afghanistan to follow their directives and "strictly enforce the new policy".
He advised travellers who had obtained or renewed their passports at the Afghan embassy in Canberra after the Taliban decree to avoid travelling until a resolution is provided.
"Recently, several passengers were stranded at Dubai airport because their passports had been extended by the Afghan embassy in Canberra," he said.
"Based on our recent experiences, we strongly advise against travelling if you are not in compliance with the new policy, as you risk being stranded in transit. We have been in contact with the Afghan embassies in Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur, and they have directed us to mail passports to them for renewal.
"Unfortunately, it's a costly exercise but these Afghan passport holders have no other choice."
Ismael Shah Niazi is a Melbourne-based Afghan travel agent. Credit: Supplied
"The department continues to advise ‘do not travel’ to Afghanistan due to the extremely dangerous security situation and the very high threat of terrorism and kidnapping," the spokesperson said.
"Our travel advice () states that our ability to provide consular and passport assistance is severely limited and can't be delivered in person, nor can we facilitate the delivery of passports into Afghanistan."
'Oppressive rule' extended, says embassies' peak body
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Coordination Council of Diplomatic and Consular Missions of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - which speaks for the Canberra embassy - told SBS Pashto the Taliban's actions against the consulates in Europe, Canada and Australia were "unfounded".
In combination with other "harsh and draconian" approaches towards human rights, the move clearly demonstrated the Taliban's aim to "further consolidate their unilateral and oppressive rule over Afghan society," the statement said.
"In this context, we express our deepest gratitude to the host countries that have supported Afghan Diplomatic and Consular Missions over the past three years.
"However, we reiterate that any change to the status quo of these missions could have profoundly negative implications, including the termination of vitally important consular services for the large Afghan diaspora residing in Europe and abroad."
'Resolve problems'
It's up to the embassy to take action to "resolve problems" faced by the Afghan community, according to Abdul Khaliq Arsala who served as the head of the consular unit at the Canberra embassy from 2010 to 2014.
"It’s obvious to everyone that the solution to this problem is for the embassy to interact with the [Taliban] centre regarding the consular services. One thing we should not forget is that the political section and the consular section are two different branches [at an embassy]," he said.
"It is true that our embassy colleagues in Canberra do not share any political common ground with the centre and do not wish to establish relations. However, from a consular perspective, if you review the history of diplomatic and consular rights, you will find that even countries in conflict and war have kept their consular units active."
Abdul Khaliq Arsala served as the head of the consular unit at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Canberra. Credit: Supplied
As a citizen of Afghanistan, he condemned the Taliban decree which has caused problems for the Afghan community.
"We spoke with our compatriots based in Australia, (and) they expressed many concerns, particularly about consular services," he said.
"The current Taliban government does not adhere to any international or diplomatic laws, so it is necessary for the Afghan ambassador in Canberra to come [to the community] and provide information about this [issue] to his countrymen.
"Since some of our compatriots who travelled to Dubai have encountered problems travelling to Afghanistan, this has unfortunately become a common issue. I hope it will be resolved as soon as possible."
*Name changed due to safety concerns.
This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Dari.
