UN Expert Says Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan Unsafe for Return of Many Refugees

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.