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Add to Preferred SourcesThe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is telling Pakistan to stop deporting Afghan refugees with legal papers back to Afghanistan, saying mass deportations break international law and could make the whole region worse, according to the latest official announcement. UNHCR keeps getting reports that Pakistani authorities are arresting Afghans all over the country, even those with legal papers.
These PoR cardholders have been recognized as refugees for decades under Pakistan’s old policies. Forcing them back now breaks a key rule called non-refoulement, which says you can’t send people back to places where they’ll face danger or persecution. Pakistan has let Afghan refugees stay for over 40 years even though the country has its own money problems.
UNHCR is really worried about women and girls getting sent back to Afghanistan, where the Taliban has taken away their basic rights. Other vulnerable people also face serious risks if they’re forced to go back. The agency said any returns should be “voluntary, safe and dignified.”
More than 2.1 million Afghans have already gone back or been forced to return to Afghanistan this year. That includes 352,000 from Pakistan. This huge movement is putting massive pressure on basic services and housing while making Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis even worse. Communities trying to help all these returning people are also struggling.
UNHCR wants Pakistan to let Afghans who still need protection stay put instead of deporting them. The agency also asked Pakistan to let Afghans with medical problems, university students, or those married to Pakistanis remain legally. Mass returns create chaos and could trigger even more people to flee across the region.