A coalition of 113 Afghan organizations, civil society groups, and protest movements based in Pakistan issued a joint statement on Thursday, calling on the international community and the United Nations to take urgent action to stop the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.
“We, a group of vulnerable Afghan asylum seekers residing in Pakistan, along with civil and protest organizations, submit this letter out of deep concern and human responsibility,” the statement reads. “The increasing threat of forced return to Taliban rule is pushing us into fear and uncertainty.”
Following the collapse of the Afghan republic in August 2021 and the Taliban’s return to power, hundreds of thousands of Afghans—particularly women, civil society activists, journalists, ethnic and religious minorities, LGBTQ individuals, and former security personnel—fled to neighboring countries, including Pakistan.
Many of these refugees, the statement says, remain without formal residency documents but are under the protection of the UNHCR and live in camps or safe houses while awaiting resettlement.
However, the crackdown on undocumented Afghans in Pakistan has intensified in recent months. The signatories warn that forced returns violate the international legal principle of nonrefoulement, which prohibits sending individuals back to countries where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.
The groups called on international bodies, including UNHCR, the UN Human Rights Council, the EU, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to intervene and press the Pakistani government to stop the deportations.
They also urged increased international monitoring of women and children refugees, faster resettlement of at-risk individuals, and the protection of refugees from being used as leverage in geopolitical disputes.
Pakistan’s federal government, citing security concerns, ordered the mass deportation of undocumented Afghan nationals earlier this month, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announcing the policy following deadly border clashes with the Taliban.
Pakistani authorities estimate that over 1.7 million Afghans currently live in the country without legal status. As of Oct. 16, more than 1.47 million Afghans had already been repatriated.
Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have condemned the policy, citing the severe risks many Afghans face under Taliban rule, including arbitrary detention, torture, and persecution.
