KABUL – Several Afghan civil society organizations have once again urged international bodies to intervene and stop Pakistan’s ongoing deportation of Afghan nationals, warning that thousands risk persecution upon return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
In a joint letter sent this week to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the European Union (EU), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the group called for “immediate action” to halt the deportations and protect vulnerable refugees.
The letter said that mounting tensions between Pakistan’s government and the Taliban have increased pressure on Afghan refugees, urging Islamabad to uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the forced return of refugees to places where they could face persecution.
“Refugees should not be used for political leverage,” the authors wrote, calling on international partners to speed up the identification and resettlement of eligible refugees in safe third countries.
Pakistan began expelling undocumented Afghan migrants in November 2023, after giving those without valid papers one month to leave voluntarily. The government described the campaign as targeting “illegal foreigners,” but human rights organizations have condemned it as discriminatory and inhumane.
According to UN estimates, more than 1.5 million Afghans have been deported or coerced into leaving Pakistan since the campaign began. Many of them fled to Pakistan after the Taliban seized power in August 2021, escaping threats, persecution, and economic collapse.
Thousands of returnees now live in makeshift camps along Afghanistan’s eastern border provinces of Nangarhar and Kandahar, where aid agencies report severe shortages of food, shelter, and healthcare.
Humanitarian groups warn that the influx has overwhelmed local resources, leaving families exposed to harsh weather and lacking basic necessities.
“Many returnees have no homes, jobs, or access to services,” said a UNHCR field worker in Torkham, describing the situation as a “humanitarian crisis in slow motion.”
Rights groups have repeatedly urged Pakistan to suspend the deportations, saying that Afghanistan remains unsafe, particularly for women, minorities, journalists, former government employees, and activists.
UNHCR appealed in both January and June 2024 for Islamabad to provide temporary protection until conditions improve, but Pakistani officials maintain that the country cannot host undocumented migrants indefinitely and that international partners should share the burden.
Despite mounting criticism, deportations continue, with Pakistani authorities framing the policy as a “national security and border management measure.”
Refugee advocates warn that without stronger international intervention, thousands more Afghans could soon be forced back into danger.
