Afghan women who fled Taliban rule for neighboring Tajikistan are now facing the risk of arrest and forced deportation, according to multiple migrants and rights advocates.
Several women told Amu TV that Tajik authorities have begun conducting sweeps and detentions targeting Afghan nationals in various parts of the country. Fearing arrest, many migrants say they are now sheltering indoors and avoiding public spaces.
Among them is Sousan, a former student at Kabul University, who left Afghanistan after the Taliban barred women from higher education.
“I hoped Tajikistan would be a safe place where I could breathe freely and build a better future,” she said. “But that didn’t happen. We can’t even leave our homes now. Police have started detaining migrants, and we’re terrified—both of being arrested here and of what could happen to us if we’re sent back to Afghanistan.”
Afghan Christian converts who fled Taliban persecution and sought refuge in Tajikistan have also told British media that they are under threat of detention and deportation. Many have warned that being returned to Afghanistan could be a death sentence, given the Taliban’s hostility toward religious minorities.
Tajik authorities have not made any public statements addressing the reported arrests or deportations. Afghanistan’s embassy in Dushanbe—still staffed by representatives of the former government—has not responded to repeated inquiries by Amu, despite growing complaints from Afghan migrants over the lack of consular support.
According to reports, at least 485 Afghan nationals were deported from Tajikistan between October 2024 and July 2025, including 334 individuals registered as asylum seekers or refugees.
The United Nations has raised alarm over the rising number of forced returns, warning that deported Afghans face serious risks upon reentry. In a recent report, the U.N. documented cases of returnees being detained, tortured, and subjected to violence by Taliban authorities.
Rights groups have called on Tajikistan and other neighboring countries to halt deportations and uphold international protections for refugees—particularly women, girls, and religious minorities—who are at risk of persecution under Taliban rule.
