The Malala Fund, led by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, expressed deep concern on Friday over Pakistan’s ongoing deportation of Afghan refugees, particularly women, educators and human rights defenders, warning that each forced return places lives at risk.
In a statement marking its latest appeal, the organization said the Taliban’s systematic violations of women’s rights in Afghanistan make returns unsafe and unlawful. “Returning women and girls to a regime that has erased them from public life is indefensible,” said Sahar Halimzai, senior director of policy and advocacy at the Malala Fund. “These deportations violate international law and undermine Pakistan’s long-standing legacy of refugee protection. With every forced return, a life is at risk.”
The group’s statement follows recent reporting indicating that dozens of Afghan women activists and journalists have been deported from Pakistan, with many now in hiding for fear of Taliban reprisals.
Since regaining control in 2021, the Taliban have banned girls from secondary and higher education, restricted female employment, and excluded women from most public roles. The Malala Fund warned that deportations risk legitimizing what it described as a regime rooted in gender-based persecution.
“In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, women and girls are denied education, stripped of employment, and deprived of basic freedoms,” the statement said. “Forced return not only jeopardizes their safety but also legitimizes a regime built on gender-based oppression.”
Nishtha Satyam, CEO of the Malala Fund, called on Pakistan to honor the generosity of its citizens who have hosted Afghan refugees over decades. “Since the Taliban’s return in 2021, many Pakistanis have opened their hearts and homes to Afghan families in need,” she said. “This is a moment to honor that spirit — not turn away from it. By standing with Afghan women and girls, Pakistan can demonstrate its enduring commitment to justice, humanity, and the rule of law.”
The statement also urged the international community to formally recognize gender apartheid as a crime under international law and to hold the Taliban accountable for the erasure of women and girls from public life.
The Malala Fund called on the Pakistani government to immediately halt deportations and safeguard those at risk. It also appealed to global governments to expand resettlement pathways and boost support for displaced Afghan women and girls.
