BRUSSELS — The International Crisis Group, in its Spring 2025 update to the EU Watch List, has called on the European Union and its member states to pressure Pakistan to halt the mass deportation of Afghan refugees and uphold its commitments under international humanitarian law.
The report warns of dire consequences for hundreds of thousands of Afghans facing expulsion from Pakistan, including women, journalists, and human rights defenders, many of whom fled the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Citing the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to countries where they risk persecution, the Crisis Group urged EU governments to advocate for an immediate stop to the deportations, regardless of refugees’ legal status.
It further recommends that Pakistan refrain from deporting individuals at high risk of harm upon return to Afghanistan. These include women and girls affected by Taliban restrictions, as well as Afghans awaiting resettlement in European countries who have not yet been relocated. The report calls on Pakistani authorities to coordinate with UN agencies to identify those most in danger.
The group also urged the EU to extend the validity of the UN-issued Proof of Residence (PoR) cards for Afghan refugees beyond their current expiration date of June 30, 2025, and to press Pakistan not to deport refugees whose asylum or resettlement claims are still pending.
European officials, the report says, should accelerate relocation efforts, particularly for vulnerable groups, and enhance humanitarian support both in Pakistan and within Afghanistan for returnees and host communities.
A complex refugee landscape
The Crisis Group outlines a layered Afghan refugee population in Pakistan, comprised of three main groups: approximately 1.3 million holders of UNHCR-issued PoR cards; 800,000 Afghans with Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), issued by Pakistan in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM); and another estimated 1.3 million undocumented Afghans identified in late 2023.
In recent months, hundreds of thousands of Afghans—many without legal documents—have left Pakistan amid fears of forced expulsion, the report says. Some have returned to Afghanistan under duress, while others have reportedly re-entered Pakistan through irregular channels with the help of human smugglers.
Following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, roughly 600,000 Afghans crossed into Pakistan. Among them were women and girls fleeing sweeping gender-based restrictions, activists, journalists, and former employees of Western governments and aid groups who had applied for asylum and hoped for eventual relocation to Europe or North America.
As deportations intensify and legal protections remain in flux, the Crisis Group warns that without coordinated international intervention, the situation could spiral further into humanitarian emergency.
