UN Experts Urge Pakistan to Halt Deportation of Afghan Refugees

Strategic Insights -

UN human rights experts have called on Pakistan to suspend its planned deportation of Afghan refugees, warning that the policy violates international law and endangers returnees. The experts condemn the repatriation as a breach of the fundamental non-refoulement principle, enshrined in human rights treaties and customary international law. The deportation, under Pakistan's Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, targets Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades, with some born there.

The experts warn against forced returns to Afghanistan, citing the UNHCR's 2023 Guidance Note on the International Protection Needs of People Fleeing Afghanistan. The Guidance Note highlights widespread displacement, with over three million people uprooted, and notes that women and girls face rampant human rights abuses under Taliban rule. Additionally, a report by The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in July highlights groups facing imminent danger, including former security personnel, government officials, and Afghans of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UN human rights experts have called on Pakistan to suspend its planned deportation of Afghan refugees, citing a breach of the non-refoulement principle.
  • The deportation plan targets Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades.
  • The experts warn against forced returns to Afghanistan, highlighting widespread displacement, human rights abuses, and imminent danger faced by various groups.
  • The UNHCR's 2023 Guidance Note on the International Protection Needs of People Fleeing Afghanistan notes that over three million people are uprooted, and women and girls face severe human rights abuses.
  • A report by The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in July highlights the risks faced by former security personnel, government officials, and Afghans of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
  • Amnesty International has documented over 750,556 forced deportations from Pakistan by March 2025, including racial profiling and harassment against vulnerable groups.
  • A UN report released in late July detailed widespread human rights violations by Taliban authorities against involuntary returnees, disproportionately targeting women, former officials, journalists, and civil society workers.

Statistics:

  • Over three million people are uprooted in Afghanistan, according to the UNHCR's 2023 Guidance Note on the International Protection Needs of People Fleeing Afghanistan.
  • 750,556 forced deportations from Pakistan have been documented by Amnesty International by March 2025.
  • 33(1) of the 1951 Refugee Convention prohibits returning refugees to territories where they risk torture, degrading treatment, or other irreparable harm.

Sources:

  • UNHCR's 2023 Guidance Note on the International Protection Needs of People Fleeing Afghanistan
  • The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report released in July
  • Amnesty International report documenting forced deportations from Pakistan by March 2025