Afghanistan claims Pakistan is carrying out widespread refugee expulsions

Afghan refugees in Pakistan face arrests and forced relocations as part of a growing repatriation campaign, raising concerns from the U.N. Refugee Agency.

Afghan refugees in Pakistan are facing arrests and harassment as part of a mass expulsion campaign, according to the Afghan embassy in Islamabad. The U.N.'s refugee agency reported that hundreds of Afghan nationals have been forcibly expelled from the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, as Pakistan intensifies efforts to repatriate approximately four million Afghans who fled during decades of conflict and after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

The Afghan embassy stated that its citizens have recently been subjected to arbitrary arrests, searches, and orders from local authorities to relocate from the capital, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi to other areas within Pakistan. The embassy added that this process, which started without any prior official notice, had not been formally communicated to Afghan diplomats.

Pakistan’s foreign office, however, denied claims of harassment, asserting that these actions are part of the "Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan" initiated in 2023. Authorities also stated that they expect Afghanistan’s interim government to create conditions for the successful reintegration of returning refugees.

Despite these assurances, the Afghan embassy revealed that Pakistani officials had informed them of plans to deport all Afghan nationals in the near future, with only valid visa holders allowed to remain in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) confirmed a rise in deportations since January 1, expressing concern over the growing uncertainty among Afghan refugees about imminent expulsions.

These developments come as the U.S. prepares to close the office overseeing the resettlement of Afghan refugees by April, potentially halting the resettlement of up to 200,000 Afghans, many of whom are currently stranded in Pakistan.

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