Pakistani government is using threats, abuse, and detention to coerce Afghan asylum seekers without legal status to return to Afghanistan or face deportation by November 1, 2023, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

Many Afghans at risk of being deported are awaiting resettlement to the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada, HRW said in a statement.

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry announced on October 3 that all migrants living without legal status in Pakistan had 28 days to leave voluntarily or face deportation. Broad calls by Pakistani officials for mass deportation have instigated increased police abuse against Afghans, including harassment, assault, and arbitrary detention. While not explicitly stated, Afghans slated for deportation are unlikely to be given the opportunity to challenge the action, the statement said.

“Pakistan’s announced deadline for Afghans to return has led to detentions, beatings, and extortion, leaving thousands of Afghans in fear over their future,” said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Khaliq Atifi, an Afghan refugee in Islamabad, said even Afghans registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are not immune to detention or deportation. “There are police checkpoints everywhere,” he said.

“Even if you have a valid visa, you will still be transferred to the police station, and in most cases, you need to pay a bribe to get released.” He said that in most cases, Afghan refugees had to pay between 10,000 and 40,000 Pakistani rupees (US$36 to $144) in bribes to Pakistani police.

HRW said these deportations violate Pakistan’s obligations as a party to the UN Convention Against Torture and under the customary international law principle of nonrefoulment – not to forcibly return people to countries where they face a clear risk of torture or other persecution. “Refoulement occurs not only when a refugee is directly rejected or expelled, but also when indirect pressure is so intense that it leads people to believe they have no option but to return to a country where they face a serious risk of harm,” it said.

The Pakistani government should end police abuses against Afghan refugees, drop the November 1 deportation deadline, and work with UNHCR to resume registrations of Afghan asylum seekers, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch has urged the governments of the US, UK, Germany, and Canada to expedite resettlement for Afghans from Pakistan who are particularly at risk.