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MSF ‘deeply concerned’ over new phase of deportations of Afghans from Pakistan
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said Wednesday it was deeply concerned for the rights and welfare of Afghan refugees in Pakistan in the wake of the recent announcement by Islamabad that it plans to start Phase Two of the deportation campaign.
Pakistan is home to an estimated 3.7 million Afghans, and a reported 500,000 have crossed the border so far.
Many Afghans living in Pakistan have been there for decades and have spent more time in the country than their country of origin, without any legal recourse to remain in the only place they can effectively call “home”.
For many Afghans, Islamabad’s “repatriation” campaign means packing up their belongings and carrying them on a horse, cart, car and bus and traveling en masse to a country that is already struggling with widespread poverty, inadequate health services and increased restrictions on women, MSF said in a statement.
The second phase of the deportations leaves an estimated 800,000 Pakistan-issued Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders vulnerable to return, while phase three is expected to result in the further deportation of UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders, MSF said.
MSF first started working in Pakistan in 1986, and today provides much-needed medical care to people in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and UN agencies estimate that more than half a million people have been deported from Pakistan or voluntarily returned to Afghanistan in the past six months.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said last month that nearly two million Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan and that the agency needs $368 million this year to assist these people.
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Afghanistan publishes 20 new laws and dozens of legal documents over five years
The documents include 20 laws, 77 decrees, 30 orders, eight guidelines, six procedures, three codes, two charters, one regulation, one directive and one legal framework.
The Progress website, affiliated with the Government Media Centre, has reported that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Justice has published 20 laws and dozens of other legislative documents in 31 issues of the Official Gazette since the Islamic Emirate returned to power.
According to the published figures, the documents include 20 laws, 77 decrees, 30 orders, eight guidelines, six procedures, three codes, two charters, one regulation, one directive and one legal framework.
Among the laws published over the past five years are legislation on preventing land grabbing, hearing complaints, the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, money changers and monetary services, as well as preventing the smuggling of food products and medicines.
The report highlights the Ministry of Justice’s legislative activities and the publication of legal documents through Afghanistan’s Official Gazette during the past five years.
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UN pledges to expand cooperation with Afghanistan as over 8 million migrants return home
Rabab said the United Nations intends to expand its cooperation with Afghanistan in several areas, alongside coordinating humanitarian assistance.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Administrative Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has met with Rabab Fatima, the newly appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, and her accompanying delegation to discuss humanitarian assistance, economic development and the challenges facing returning Afghan migrants.
During the meeting, Rabbah expressed her satisfaction at having the opportunity to serve the people of Afghanistan. She also spoke positively about development projects carried out in the country by the Islamic Emirate and expressed hope that efforts to promote economic growth and reconstruction would continue.
Rabab said the United Nations intends to expand its cooperation with Afghanistan in several areas, alongside coordinating humanitarian assistance. These include providing alternative livelihood opportunities for farmers, creating employment opportunities and expanding assistance to returning migrants.
She also praised the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to address the challenges facing returning Afghan migrants, describing the management of their return as one of Afghanistan’s major challenges.
For his part, Hanafi said more than eight million Afghan migrants have returned to the country, adding that the Islamic Emirate would use all available resources to support them and address their needs.
He further called on relevant institutions to strengthen efforts to protect the rights of returnees, create employment opportunities and provide adequate shelter.
The meeting comes amid ongoing humanitarian and economic challenges in Afghanistan, with support for returning migrants and expanded international cooperation remaining key priorities.
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Unexploded ordnance contaminates 901 square kms of land in Afghanistan
Around 901 square kilometres of land across Afghanistan is contaminated with unexploded ordnance, posing a continuing threat to civilians, particularly children, Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said.
Mohammad Yousuf Hammad, spokesperson for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, made the remarks in an interview with Afghanistan’s state-controlled national broadcaster.
Hammad said explosions involving landmines and unexploded remnants of war continue to kill and injure large numbers of Afghans every year.
He added that, with financial support from the United Nations Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan, more than 73,000 square metres of contaminated land had been cleared in Kunduz and Baghlan provinces by December 2025.
According to available figures, approximately 1,026 people were killed or injured in Afghanistan in landmine and unexploded ordnance explosions in 2021.
Decades of conflict have left large quantities of explosive remnants of war scattered across the country, creating persistent dangers for civilians.
Children remain particularly vulnerable, as unexploded devices can be mistaken for ordinary objects or encountered while playing and travelling through affected areas.
The reported contamination highlights the continuing need for mine-clearance operations, humanitarian assistance and public awareness programmes to protect communities and prevent further civilian casualties.
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