KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has expressed serious concern over the deportation of large numbers of Afghan children from Pakistan, including unaccompanied minors, warning that the practice exposes children to grave human rights violations.
In its latest report, the Committee said that deportations carried out under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan are conducted without individual risk assessments, placing Afghan children at heightened risk during detention and border crossings. According to the Committee, these risks include family separation, exploitation, abuse, and exposure to violence. “The Committee was seriously concerned about the deportation of large numbers of Afghan children, including unaccompanied children, under the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan without individual risk assessments.”
The Committee urged the Pakistani government to immediately reconsider the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan and to uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the forced return of individuals to places where they face serious threats to their rights and safety.
It also called on Pakistan to adopt a national refugee law and establish a formal asylum system to register refugee children and provide long-term protection solutions, particularly for Afghan children who have fled conflict and persecution.
The Committee noted that many Afghan children facing deportation were born or raised in Pakistan and have little or no connection to Afghanistan. It warned that forced returns place these children at serious risk of poverty, lack of access to education and healthcare, and exposure to violence.
In addition to concerns over deportation, the Committee highlighted broader risks faced by Afghan children, including exposure to violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. It stressed that social stigma and harmful cultural taboos further undermine prevention efforts and prevent timely reporting of abuse, leaving children even more vulnerable.
The Committee also expressed alarm over rising mental health challenges among children and barriers to accessing mental health and adolescent sexual and reproductive health services, particularly for refugee and displaced children.
Pakistan has intensified the deportation of Afghan migrants over the past year as part of its crackdown on undocumented foreigners. According to United Nations figures, more than 1.5 million Afghan migrants were deported from Pakistan in 2025 alone. The deportations continue, with thousands of Afghan migrants reportedly returned to Afghanistan in recent days.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that the forced return of Afghan children from Pakistan risks deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where access to education, healthcare, and child protection services remains extremely limited.
