KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A group of Afghan journalists held a protest in Paris on Saturday, calling for urgent protection and faster processing of humanitarian visas for colleagues stranded in Pakistan and Iran after fleeing Afghanistan.
The demonstration, organized by the Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO), highlighted the plight of Afghan journalists who left the country following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 amid tightening restrictions on media freedom, censorship, and security threats.
In a statement, AMSO said dozens of Afghan journalists and their families in Pakistan and Iran are facing an unprecedented crisis. Prolonged delays and uncertainty in visa processing are putting their lives at serious risk.
“Their asylum cases have been rejected or remained unanswered for long periods after interviews, while many others are still waiting to be invited for interviews,” the organization said.
AMSO warned that the situation has exposed journalists to serious security, economic, and psychological pressures. Afghan journalists in Pakistan, in particular, face unemployment, financial hardship, harassment, and the risk of forced deportation. Some have even attempted suicide due to the extreme conditions, the organization added.
According to the organization, those journalists forcibly deported from Pakistan and Iran face security threats, surveillance, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and other human rights violations, endangering both their lives and those of their families.
Amid these hardships, France is seen by many Afghan journalists as their “only remaining hope,” AMSO said, adding that around 150 Afghan journalists in Pakistan and Iran are awaiting French humanitarian visas, calling on French authorities to accelerate visa processing, consider cases under emergency procedures, and take into account the circumstances of families and children.
“Silence means the death of Afghan journalists, and any delay will lead to irreversible humanitarian consequences,” AMSO said.
“We demand justice and life for our colleagues!”
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, many journalists have fled abroad to protect their lives, seeking refuge in Europe and the United States. However, a significant number remain in neighboring countries, living in uncertainty while awaiting immigration decisions.
Meanwhile, dozens of journalists who initially fled Taliban reprisals have been deported from Pakistan and Iran in recent years. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), nearly 200 Afghan journalists are still waiting in Pakistan for visas to third countries, with at least 20 deported in 2025 alone.
Human rights groups have repeatedly called on Pakistan and Iran to halt deportations and urged Western countries to speed up resettlement processes, warning that Afghanistan remains unsafe, especially for journalists, women, minorities, former government employees, and civil society activists.
