Exodus from Afghanistan: India has issued 4,600 visas to Afghans in last fortnight

India has issued nearly 4,600 visas to Afghan nationals in the last fortnight with authorities expecting a surge in requests following Taliban’s takeover of urban centres, including Kabul. Indian immigration authorities estimate that 3,500 Indians have travelled to Afghanistan in the past month.

While many of them returned after the advisories issued by the Embassy of India in Afghanistan, an estimated 550 Indians, including embassy officials, security and paramilitary personnel, are still stuck in Afghanistan. Following reports of the Taliban entering the Afghan capital city, India has put in place contingency plans to evacuate hundreds of its officials and citizens from Kabul. On Sunday, an Air India flight brought back 129 passengers from Kabul including several Afghan nationals.

In July, India withdrew its staff from the Consulate in Kandahar and issued security advisories asking Indians visiting, staying and working in Afghanistan to immediately return to India.


A government official said that the visa requests have come down as compared to August 2019 when more than 10,000 visas were issued due to Covid-19 restrictions. Authorities, however, said that emergency visas were being issued on urgent requests.

On Monday, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to immediately evacuate Indians, including 200 Sikhs stuck in Afghanistan’s Gurudwara.