Rights group calls for halt to forced returns of refugees to Afghanistan

Amnesty International on Tuesday called on world leaders to immediately stop the forced return of refugees and asylum seekers to Afghanistan, citing serious human rights concerns and warning that such actions violate international law.

In a statement, the rights group said millions of Afghan refugees were unlawfully deported in 2025 from countries including Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Germany, despite the human rights situation inside Afghanistan. Amnesty said the returns have taken place amid intensified restrictions on fundamental freedoms, particularly affecting women and girls.

According to the organization, ongoing violations include limits on freedom of movement, bans on women working with the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, and the continued exclusion of girls above the age of 12 from education.

Amnesty International’s Regional Director for South Asia, Smriti Singh, said the forced deportations ignore the reasons Afghans fled their country in the first place. “This rush to forcibly return people to Afghanistan disregards the serious dangers they face if sent back,” she said, adding that such actions violate the binding international principle of non-refoulement.

Rights groups claim the human rights situation in Afghanistan has significantly deteriorated since the Islamic Emirate regained power in 2021, with restrictions on media freedom and women’s rights drawing widespread international concern. In October, the United Nations established an independent investigative mechanism to examine alleged international crimes and violations of international law in the country.

The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly rejected such allegations, stating that the rights of citizens are protected within the framework of Sharia law.