KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – UN experts, including Richard Bennett, have called on Pakistan to stop deportations and other pressures on Afghan refugees, warning that such actions could harm vulnerable groups and violate international law.
In a joint statement released on Friday, the experts urged Pakistan to continue its long-standing role as a host for displaced Afghans, particularly at a time when they need protection.
“Millions of Afghans in Pakistan are at risk of being pushed back to Afghanistan without regard for their genuine protection concerns,” the experts said. They stressed that such actions would violate international human rights and refugee law, as well as UNHCR’s non-return advisory.
“We urge Pakistan to immediately stop mass internal relocations, deportations, arrests, evictions, intimidation, and other pressures on Afghans to cross the border into Afghanistan, and to uphold the absolute and non-derogable principle of non-refoulement,” they added.
The experts expressed particular concern for Afghan women and girls, LGBTI individuals, ethnic and religious minorities, former government officials, rights defenders, and media workers. They warned that these groups are especially vulnerable to retaliation and persecution by the Taliban if forced to return.
“Many desperate Afghans have contacted the experts, fearing persecution by the Taliban in Afghanistan if they are forced to return,” the statement read.
The UN experts also raised concerns about the return of Afghan refugees from other countries, describing such actions as violations of international human rights and refugee law.
They pointed to the sharp decline in aid to Afghanistan, warning that this would limit the capacity of humanitarian agencies to support a large influx of people from neighboring countries.
“Given the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan, durable solutions are needed for Afghans outside the country, with strong support from the broader international community,” the statement concluded.
Pakistan’s government aims to deport nearly three million Afghan refugees this year as part of its Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan, which began in September 2023. Over 800,000 refugees have already been deported to the Taliban-controlled and impoverished Afghanistan.
Despite increasing calls from the UN and rights groups to end deportations, Islamabad has yet to show any sign of reversing its policies or halting the forced removals.
