KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has warned that Afghanistan under Taliban rule remains unsafe for the forced return of many refugees, citing serious risks to their safety and well-being.
Speaking at the Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore, Bennett noted that children expelled to Afghanistan face severe impacts, particularly loss of access to education. He highlighted that many Afghans returned from Pakistan were born and raised there and have never lived in Afghanistan.
Bennett acknowledged Pakistan’s role in hosting millions of Afghan refugees for more than four decades, describing it as notable given the country’s social and economic pressures. However, he said returns should occur under safe and dignified conditions rather than through large-scale deportations.
Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, sheltering successive waves of people fleeing war, political instability, and economic hardship. After the Taliban took power in August 2021, thousands more Afghans, including activists, politicians, journalists and former government employees, fled the country, with most seeking refuge in Pakistan and Iran over fears of reprisals.
Since launching the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” in September 2023, Islamabad has stepped up efforts to repatriate undocumented Afghans, including some who previously held legal refugee status. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 1.5 million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan since the deportation campaign began, with about 779,000 returning in 2025 alone.
Similar deportation campaigns are underway in neighboring Iran. IOM figures show that more than four million Afghans have been deported or forced to return from Pakistan and Iran since September 2023, including more than 2.6 million in 2025.
The mass returns come as Afghanistan faces one of its worst humanitarian crises in recent years. Economic collapse, reduced international aid, and restrictive policies imposed by the Taliban have left nearly half of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations. Women and children make up the majority of those requiring aid.
Rights organizations, UN agencies, and activists have repeatedly urged Pakistan and Iran to halt deportations, warning that Afghanistan under Taliban rule remains unsafe for many returnees. They say vulnerable groups, including women, children, journalists, and former government employees, face heightened risks to their safety, freedom, and access to basic services upon return.
