A coalition of journalist rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and PEN International, has called on the Pakistani government to immediately suspend the deportation of Afghan journalists, citing grave risks to those fleeing Taliban persecution.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, May 28, the undersigned organizations renewed their call for Pakistan to halt its “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” a policy announced in October 2023 that has led to the forced return of tens of thousands of Afghans in recent months. More than 30,000 Afghans were deported in April alone, according to the statement.
The groups, which include Reporters Without Borders, Front Line Defenders, PEN America, and several Afghan journalist and artist networks, warned that deported individuals face a high risk of arbitrary arrest, torture, and imprisonment under the Taliban regime—particularly those targeted for their peaceful expression, such as journalists, writers, artists, and human rights defenders.
“Women and girls deported to Afghanistan face overwhelming levels of repression impacting every aspect of their lives, amounting to what U.N. experts have described as gender apartheid,” the statement said.
The joint appeal also highlighted that many of those deported had originally sought safety in Pakistan with plans to resettle in third countries. But the global slowdown in humanitarian visa processing—especially in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany—has left thousands in limbo.
The organizations criticized what they described as a climate of fear in Pakistan, noting increased reports of arrests, harassment, and intimidation of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers by Pakistani authorities.
They urged the international community to act swiftly to provide safe and legal pathways for those at risk, and called for stronger protections for freedom of expression.
The full list of signatories includes advocacy and media freedom organizations such as Afghan Journalists in Exile in North America and Europe, Free Press Unlimited, the International Association of Women in Radio & Television, NAI Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan, and several PEN chapters.
Despite repeated warnings from U.N. agencies and human rights monitors, Pakistan has shown no indication that it plans to suspend the deportations.
