The key facts
- According to media reports and the group AfghanEvac, the US plans to deport more than 150 Afghans via Pakistan, including relatives of those who helped American forces before 2021
- The Taliban Foreign Ministry expressed «serious concern» and declared its readiness for cooperation
- The UN has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings and detentions despite the amnesty declared by the Taliban
Deportation plan via Pakistan
The authorities of Afghanistan, controlled by the Taliban movement, expressed concern on Monday over reports that Washington plans to deport Afghan migrants to Pakistan for their subsequent return home. According to US media and the human rights group AfghanEvac, the plan concerns more than 150 Afghan citizens currently in the United States, including relatives of those who assisted American forces before the troop withdrawal in 2021. This is reported by euronews citing a statement by the spokesman of the Afghan Foreign Ministry, Abdul Kahar Balkhi.
Why the transit through Pakistan
The United States cannot organize deportation directly to Afghanistan, so, as anonymous American officials told The New York Times, Pakistan will be responsible for expelling people to Afghanistan. The scheme is complicated by the fact that, according to the outlet, some of those being deported have not yet received legal documents allowing them to stay in Pakistan — Balkhi pointed to this in his statement. Earlier this year, the government of Pakistan ordered the detention of Afghans without visas across the country as part of a years-long repatriation policy that has affected millions of refugees; relations between the two countries remain tense and worsened after deadly border clashes last October, which led to an almost complete closure of the border.
Kabul's reaction and risks for the deportees
«The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan expresses serious concern over reports that the United States intends to deport, via Pakistan, some Afghan refugees who have not yet been able to obtain legal documents for residence in that country», — euronews quotes Balkhi's statement. He added that the Afghan side «is ready for practical and understanding-based cooperation» and called on the United States to make decisions taking into account the rights of those affected. Human rights organizations warn that the expulsion of former US allies and their families could put their lives at risk. After returning to power, the Taliban declared a general amnesty for Afghans who had worked with Western forces and again promised them a safe return this year; however, the UN has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions, and rights violations.
Context of US migration policy
Donald Trump's administration last year introduced travel bans for a number of countries, including Afghanistan, as part of a tightening of migration policy, and sought to end protection from deportation for Afghans, some of whom received special immigrant visas after the Taliban came to power in 2021. The outlet also notes that in recent years Germany and Turkey have already deported Afghans directly, despite objections from human rights advocates. No details have yet been reported on the practical implementation of the plan, its timeline, or the fate of specific individuals.
