Latest News
Pakistan starts deporting registered Afghan refugees, says UNHCR
Pakistani authorities have said that Islamabad wants all Afghan nationals to leave except for those who have valid visas.
Pakistan has started to deport documented Afghan refugees ahead of its deadline for them to leave, according to the United Nations, in a move that could see more than 1 million Afghans expelled from the country, Reuters reported.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said that it had received reports of arrests and expulsions of legally registered Afghans across the country before Pakistan’s September 1 deadline for them to leave.
The UNHCR said that sending the Afghans back in this way was a breach of Pakistan’s international obligations.
“UNHCR is calling on the government to stop the forcible return and adopt a humane approach to ensure voluntary, gradual, and dignified return of Afghans,” it said in a statement.
The voluntary return of the documented refugees shall commence forthwith, said a Pakistan’s interior ministry order seen by Reuters. It said the formal deportation process will start after the deadline.
But Qaisar Khan Afridi, a spokesman for the UNHCR, told Reuters on Wednesday that hundreds of legally registered Afghan refugees had already been detained and deported to Afghanistan from August 1 to August 4, read the report.
The interior ministry did not respond a Reuters request for a comment.
More than 1.3 million Afghans hold documentation known as Proof of Registration cards, while 750,000 more have another form of registration known as an Afghan Citizen Card.
Many Afghans have been settled in Pakistan since the 1980s, to escape cycles of war in Afghanistan.
“Such massive and hasty return could jeopardize the lives and freedom of Afghan refugees, while also risking instability not only in Afghanistan but across the region,” UNHRC said.
Pakistani authorities have said that Islamabad wants all Afghan nationals to leave except for those who have valid visas.
The repatriation drive by Pakistan is part of a campaign called the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan launched in late 2023, Reuters reported.
Pakistan has in the past blamed militant attacks and crimes on Afghan citizens, who form the largest migrant group in the country. Afghanistan has rejected the accusations, and has termed the repatriations as forced deportation.
In addition to the repatriation from Pakistan, Afghanistan also faces a fresh wave of mass deportations from Iran.
Aid groups worry that the influx risks further destabilising the country.
Mohammad Younus Akhundzada, the Islamic Emirate’s Minister of Energy and Water, departed for Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Saturday to attend the 17th World Energy Forum.
Ministerial-level representatives from around 100 countries are expected to participate in the forum to discuss energy cooperation, opportunities, and the exchange of experiences.
The Ministry of Water and Energy said Afghanistan’s participation in the forum provides an opportunity to strengthen relations with countries around the world, exchange expertise, and attract international cooperation in the energy sector.
The US Department of State has placed Afghanistan in Tier 3 in its 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, citing concerns over forced labor, child exploitation and inadequate protection for trafficking victims.
The report says Afghanistan has failed to fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking and has not made significant efforts to do so.
It also highlights the vulnerability of families, particularly children, to trafficking and exploitation amid poverty, economic hardship and the return of migrants from neighboring countries.
Afghanistan continues to face economic challenges and growing humanitarian needs, while large numbers of Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries. Experts say raising public awareness, creating job opportunities and providing support to vulnerable families are essential to preventing human trafficking and child exploitation.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate has previously issued a decree declaring human trafficking contrary to Islamic Sharia and called for action against the practice. Officials have also said the rights of Afghans are protected in accordance with Islamic Sharia and Afghan traditions.
Latest News
Iranian lawmaker praises Afghanistan’s support, accuses Pakistan of ‘hypocrisy’
Zanganeh claimed that a post published under the name of Pakistan’s parliamentary speaker during negotiations between Tehran and Washington had been written by Americans.
Mohsen Zanganeh, head of the Iranian Parliament’s Economic Commission, has praised Afghanistan’s support for Iran during the conflict between Iran and the United States, while criticizing Pakistan’s conduct during the crisis.
Zanganeh claimed that a post published under the name of Pakistan’s parliamentary speaker during negotiations between Tehran and Washington had been written by Americans. According to the Iranian lawmaker, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was responsible for drafting the post.
He described Pakistan’s alleged conduct as “hypocrisy” and expressed appreciation for the friendship and support shown by Afghans towards Iran.
Zanganeh’s remarks highlight the differing political perspectives emerging in the region as neighbouring countries respond to developments involving Iran and the United States.
14 killed in two separate mass shootings across the United States
Houthi attack on Saudi airport kills 12, over 300 wounded, authorities say
Energy and Water Minister heads to Saudi Arabia for World Energy Forum
Saar: Ongoing expulsion of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan discussed
Afghanistan trail Bangladesh by 135 runs at stumps on Day Two
EU and FAO launch €5m programme to strengthen Afghanistan’s agrifood sector
Omar Zawak, Toofan Herat secure victories in Afghanistan Champions League
Cricket Bonanza: Afghanistan set for packed international schedule
Houthi advance in Yemen puts U.S. in a new bind
New warnings reignite debate over AI threat to humanity
Saar: Ongoing expulsion of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan discussed
Tahawol: CSTO meeting on Afghanistan reviewed
Saar: Guterres’s talks with Pakistani officials on Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Consequences of US war in Afghanistan reviewed
Saar: Expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan discussed
-
World5 days ago▶️Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan activate Mecca defense pact
-
Sport5 days agoAino Mina Kandahar defeat Istiqlal Kabul 3–2
-
Health5 days agoRussia investigates suspected pneumonic plague; Trump ready to ‘help’
-
Regional2 days agoTrump says US will not attack Iran before midterm elections in November
-
Business4 days agoBaradar opens Fifth Imam Abu Hanifa International Exhibition in Kabul
-
International Sports4 days agoLionel Messi bids tearful farewell to Argentina after 3-0 win over Benin
-
Business3 days agoRussia-Afghanistan trade surges 150% in first seven months of 2026
-
World4 days agoVance says Iran must cut enrichment to end war