KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – UN experts have urged Pakistan to stop its planned deportations of Afghan refugees, warning that those facing forced return could be exposed to life-threatening conditions in a country grappling with widespread human rights abuses and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
In a statement on Friday, the experts, including Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, called on Pakistan to respect its international obligations and suspend the deportations.
Pakistan plans to begin a new deportation drive on 1 September, targeting Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards. The cards, issued jointly by the UN refugee agency and the Pakistani government in 2006, cover nearly 1.4 million Afghans. Many have lived in Pakistan for decades, and some were born there and have never visited Afghanistan.
The move follows Pakistan’s broader campaign to expel Afghan refugees. Since October 2023, more than 1.3 million Afghans have been deported in two phases, including those without documents and holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC).
“Millions of Afghans in Pakistan are at risk of being sent to a country unable to cope with an existing crisis,” the experts said, pointing to widespread displacement, economic instability, and Taliban restrictions on women and girls.
They stressed that under international law, Pakistan must not return anyone to a place where they face threats to life or freedom. “The obligation of non-refoulement is not optional – it is a cornerstone of treaty and customary international law that must be upheld,” the statement read.
Many of those facing deportation have no homes to return to and lack family or community support networks, the experts added. Women-headed households and those without a male guardian are especially vulnerable. Former government officials, members of the security forces, and minority groups also remain at risk of persecution and violence.
The UN experts called on the international community to increase support for Pakistan and host communities. They also criticized countries that have reduced or halted resettlement programs, accusing them of abandoning the principle of international solidarity and responsibility-sharing with countries hosting refugees.
“Afghan refugees and others in exile need sustainable, humane, and rights-respecting support and protection,” the experts concluded.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly urged Pakistan to halt deportations, warning that Afghanistan remains unsafe under Taliban rule, particularly for women, children, journalists, activists, and former government workers.
Similar deportation campaigns are underway in Iran. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 4 million Afghans have been deported or forced to return from Pakistan and Iran since September 2023, including over 1.5 million so far this year.
