Afghanistan Can't Print Passports Fast Enough as Exodus Worsens
- Afghans second behind Syria among migrants heading to Europe
- Economic expansion slows as U.S. withdraws soldiers, cash
An Afghan man has his photograph taken his passport at the passport office in Kabul.
Photographer: Shah Marai/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
A year into President Ashraf Ghani’s tenure, so many Afghans want to leave the country that authorities need to order more machines to print enough passports.
Hundreds of people in recent months have arrived before dawn to queue outside of Kabul’s only passport office. Applications have risen sevenfold since last year, overwhelming local staff. It can now take 40 days to get a passport, up from two earlier.