Urgent Appeal: Stop the Forced Deportation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan

Pakistan’s enforced mass deportation of Afghan refugees is putting thousands, especially women and children, at severe risk by forcing them back into a country plagued by persecution and humanitarian crisis.

Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) is deeply alarmed by Pakistan’s ongoing mass deportation of Afghan refugees, a crisis that puts hundreds of thousands of vulnerable individuals at severe risk. Especially women and children. As reports and firsthand accounts reveal, these forced returns are not only inhumane but also expose refugees to grave dangers in Afghanistan, where many face persecution, violence, and extreme hardship.

Since the Pakistani government’s announcement in 2023 to expel undocumented foreigners, over half a million Afghans have been forcibly returned. The situation is worsening, with thousands more expected to be deported in the coming weeks. The reality for many of these refugees is grim: Afghanistan remains in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, with the Taliban’s rule systematically stripping women of their rights, restricting education, and enforcing oppressive laws that leave them with no freedom or security.

Why this Deportation must Stop

1. Women and Girls at Risk
   Afghan women deported from Pakistan face an uncertain and often dangerous future. Under Taliban rule, women’s rights have been drastically reduced, they are banned from attending secondary schools and universities, restricted from working, and subjected to the strict and often brutal enforcement of discriminatory laws. For many female refugees returning to Afghanistan is not just a setback, it is a life-threatening situation.
2. Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan
   The country is struggling with extreme poverty, food shortages, and an overwhelmed healthcare system. Returning thousands of refugees to such conditions will only exacerbate the crisis, leaving them without necessities and exposing them to harm further.
3. Violation of International Law
   The principle of non-refoulement, enshrined in international human rights law, prohibits the forced return of individuals to a country where they may face persecution or harm. Pakistan, as a signatory to various human rights treaties, must uphold this principle and ensure that Afghan refugees are not forcibly returned to danger.

GHRD’S Call to Action

We urge the Pakistani government to halt the forced deportations immediately and to work with international organizations to find humane and lawful solutions for Afghan refugees. Additionally, we call on the United Nations, the European Union, and human rights organizations worldwide to intervene and press for a more compassionate approach to this crisis.

Refugees are not criminals. They are individuals fleeing persecution, seeking safety, and hoping for a future where they can live with dignity. Pakistan must uphold its humanitarian responsibilities and ensure that no Afghan refugee, especially women and children, is forced back into harm’s way.

We ask the global community to raise awareness, speak out against these deportations, and stand in solidarity with Afghan refugees. The world cannot afford to look away.

Sources and Further Readings 

Amnesty International. (2025, March). Opaque, illegal ‘foreigners’ repatriation plan targeting Afghan refugees must be withdrawn.

European Parliamentary Research Service. (2023). Human rights in Afghanistan: One year after the Taliban takeover.

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). (n.d.). The principle of non-refoulement under international human rights law.

United Nations Human Rights Office. (2023, March). Afghanistan: UN experts say 20 years of progress on women’s and girls’ rights erased.

Voice of America. (2025). Pakistan orders documented Afghan migrants to leave.