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UN experts urge Pakistan to halt Afghan refugee deportations
The deportations fall under Pakistan’s “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” and now extend to Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
United Nations human rights experts have urged Pakistan to suspend its planned deportation of Afghan refugees, scheduled to begin on September 1, 2025, warning that the policy violates international law and places returnees at grave risk.
The deportations fall under Pakistan’s “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” and now extend to Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards. Many of these refugees have lived in Pakistan for decades, with some born in the country.
The experts described the move as a clear breach of the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to territories where they could face persecution, torture, or other serious harm. “Non-refoulement is not optional,” the UN experts said in a joint statement.
Citing UNHCR’s 2023 Guidance Note on the International Protection Needs of People Fleeing Afghanistan, the experts stressed that forced returns remain unsafe given the humanitarian and human rights situation.
Afghanistan is still facing mass displacement, with more than three million people uprooted. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable due to sweeping restrictions, including bans on secondary education, curbs on employment, and limitations on movement without a male guardian.
While acknowledging Pakistan’s decades-long role in hosting millions of Afghan refugees, the experts called for increased international assistance to ease the burden.
Rights groups have raised alarm over the policy’s implementation.
Amnesty International documented more than 750,000 forced deportations from Pakistan by March 2025, citing racial profiling, arbitrary arrests, and harassment of refugees.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate has denied reports claiming that Afghan dual citizens living abroad are now required to obtain an Afghan visa when returning to their home country.
Zia Ahmad Takal, the ministry’s head of public relations, said in a statement that no new decision has been made in this regard.
According to him, Afghans who travel to Afghanistan with a foreign passport, as before, do not need to obtain a visa if they present proof of their Afghan identity, and they may enter the country without a visa.
The Panjshir Media Office announced on Thursday that nearly 20,000 young people from the province have been employed across government and security institutions over the past two years, as part of efforts to expand job opportunities.
According to the statement, youths from Panjshir have joined the Islamic Emirate Army, the National Police, civilian departments within and outside the emirate’s structures, as well as the province’s rapidly growing mining sector.
The recruitment drive follows instructions from the leader of the Islamic Emirate, who—after a request from Panjshir officials during a governors’ conference in Kandahar—ordered the provincial governor to compile a list of eligible youths for placement in other provinces.
The media office said that in the current year alone, more than 1,000 Panjshir youths have been recruited into the National Police, while another 600 have joined the Islamic Army. Additionally, over 1,000 others have secured positions in civilian institutions, including domestic and international organizations, due to efforts by Governor Mohammad Agha Hakim.
Panjshir’s mining industry has also become a major source of employment. With new extraction and processing operations launched under Islamic Emirate directives, nearly 15,000 youths have been hired in areas ranging from mining to the trade of precious and semi-precious stones—marking the first time such large-scale opportunities have been available in the sector.
Officials added that thousands more young people are working on construction and development projects across the province.
Residents of Panjshir expressed appreciation for the increased attention from the Islamic Emirate’s leadership, saying many of their sons are now employed in security and civilian roles, particularly at checkpoints—something they believe has strengthened trust between the community and the government.
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