Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleAfghanistan’s Taliban government has expressed “serious concern” over reported US plans to deport more than 150 Afghans to Pakistan, with the goal of eventually sending them back to Afghanistan, France 24 reported on Monday.
Advocacy groups have warned that removing former allies of the United States and their families could put their lives at risk.
What is reported
According to US media reports and an advocacy group, more than 150 Afghans in the United States would be deported via Pakistan to Afghanistan. They include relatives of people who assisted US forces before the 2021 withdrawal.
AfghanEvac, a group that seeks to help former Afghan allies, said those expected to be deported include relatives of Afghans who helped the US military before the fall of Kabul.
The United States cannot arrange deportations directly to Afghanistan. Anonymous US officials told The New York Times that Pakistan will oversee the expulsions to Afghanistan.
Taliban response
Foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement that the Taliban were concerned about reports that the US intends to deport Afghan refugees to Pakistan who have not yet been able to obtain legal residency documents there.
He urged Washington to take a responsible and measured approach, and to make decisions on the fate of Afghan citizens with clear mutual understanding and coordination. He also called for consideration of the rights and legitimate demands of the people concerned.
Balkhi added that the Afghan side is ready to engage in a practical and mutually understanding manner.
Safety concerns and wider context
After returning to power, the Taliban announced a general amnesty for Afghans who worked with Western-backed forces and governments. They have repeated promises this year that former foes could return home safely. The United Nations, however, has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions and abuses.
President Donald Trump’s administration issued travel bans last year for several countries, including Afghanistan, as part of a broad immigration crackdown. It also sought to end deportation protections for Afghans, some of whom had received special immigrant visas after the 2021 Taliban takeover.
Germany and Turkey have deported Afghan nationals directly to Afghanistan in recent years, despite concerns from human rights groups about the risks facing returnees.
Pakistan’s government earlier this year ordered law enforcement nationwide to arrest Afghan citizens without visas, as part of a years-long repatriation policy that has pushed back millions of Afghans who fled decades of war. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained since the Taliban took power. They worsened after deadly border clashes last October that led to a near-total closure of the border.
Source: France 24
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