A senior Tajik official has denied reports of forced deportations of Afghan migrants from Tajikistan, calling the allegations baseless and stating that no formal complaints have been received.
Musawer Bahadori, head of Tajikistan’s Committee for Refugees in Dushanbe, said in an interview published Friday by local outlet Asia-Plus that his office had not been approached by any Afghan nationals regarding forced removals.
“No one has come to our committee to file a complaint, and we have received no official grievance from any migrant,” Bahadori said.
His remarks came in response to earlier reports by Afghan media outlet Amu TV, which cited unnamed sources claiming that the Tajik government had detained and deported Afghan migrants in recent days, allegedly giving them a 15-day deadline to leave the country.
According to those sources, the majority of the deportees held valid residence permits in Tajikistan. Many were said to be former employees of the previous Afghan government who fled the country following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, fearing reprisal and persecution.
Sources added that over the past week, dozens of Afghan men were detained daily—often at their workplaces or homes in the Vahdat township and Rudaki district of Dushanbe—and deported without prior warning to their families.
Roughly 13,000 Afghans are estimated to reside in Tajikistan, many of whom are awaiting resettlement to third countries, including Canada.
This comes amid rising pressure on Afghan refugees in the region. Iran and Pakistan have already ramped up expulsions of undocumented Afghans in recent months, drawing international concern over human rights violations and the risks facing returnees.
Tajik authorities have not issued a formal statement addressing the claims, and international organizations working on refugee protection have yet to comment publicly on the matter.
