The US Department of State's 2026 Trafficking in Persons report has revealed that the Taliban government uses children in combat roles and that some of its members have engaged in "bacha bazi," the sexual exploitation of boys. The report places Afghanistan in the lowest tier, stating the Taliban has not taken meaningful steps to combat human trafficking.
According to the report, the Taliban government has not reported any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of its members for alleged complicity in trafficking offenses. Impunity among the group is described as a "significant problem," with no formal accountability system in place to address these crimes.
Regarding child soldiers, the State Department report says the Taliban and other armed groups unlawfully recruit and use children in both combat and support roles. It cites observers who noted that local Taliban members falsified children's ages on identity documents to facilitate their recruitment. The report adds that children are recruited through coercion and deception, particularly from schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and enrolled in jihadi madrassas where they reportedly receive military training.
The report also addresses the practice of "bacha bazi," writing that although it is officially banned, the practice continues, with some Taliban members implicated. According to observers, victims of this form of sexual exploitation often do not report it due to fear of punishment by the Taliban and social stigma.
Other patterns of human trafficking are also highlighted, with internal trafficking noted as more prevalent than transnational trafficking. Debt bondage forces families into forced labor, and children are exploited in various sectors, including carpet weaving, ick kilns, herding, and begging.
Furthermore, the State Department criticizes the Taliban's treatment of potential trafficking victims. The report states that the Taliban commonly detained potential victims, including children found begging on the streets, without proper screening. These victims were often held in detention centers alongside adults, where they faced physical and sexual abuse and conditions indicative of forced labor.
Source: 2026 US Department of State Report
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