Nearly 20 aid workers detained for violating Beard regulations in Afghanistan

The male staff members affiliated with UN were detained at the Islam Qala Reception Centre because they had either trimmed their beards or did not have beards, local media report

KABUL: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-June 22^nd, 2026) Taliban authorities in Afghanistan briefly detained nearly 20 aid workers for allegedly failing to comply with beard requirements enforced under the country's morality regulations, according to sources familiar with the incident.

The detentions took near the islam Qala border crossing, located along the Afghanistan-Iran frontier. The individuals were reportedly employed by organizations that work in partnership with the United Nations and were engaged in humanitarian activities in the area.

The sources said that the workers were taken into custody by officials from the Taliban's morality police. An internal statement from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said local male staff members affiliated with UN partner organizations were detained at the Islam Qala Reception Centre because they had either trimmed their beards or did not have beards that met the authorities' requirements.

The statement indicated that several of the detained workers were released later the same day, while the remaining individuals were freed the following day after being held for a short period.

The incident has raised concerns among humanitarian organizations operating in Afghanistan, where aid agencies continue to face various restrictions under Taliban rule.

When approached for comment, Afghanistan's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which oversees the enforcement of morality laws, declined to provide an official response regarding the detentions.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban administration in Afghanistan introduced a series of regulations governing personal appearance and public conduct, with enforcement carried out by the ministry's morality officers across different parts of the country.