Displaced International Statement Urging Pakistan to Abandon Collective Punishment of Afghan Refugees

Displaced International (DI) expresses deep concern over indications that the Government of Pakistan may resume or intensify the mass deportation of Afghan refugees—following in the footsteps of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This would constitute collective punishment of some of the world’s most vulnerable people, many of whom have known no home but Pakistan for decades or were forced to flee persecution under the Taliban regime after August 2021.

We urge Pakistan not to replicate Iran’s ongoing violations of international refugee law, including the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to a country where they face threats to life, freedom, or dignity.

“It is both unjust and ironic that refugees fleeing the very conditions that Pakistan itself helped create—through support to the Taliban before 2021 and tolerance of their rule today—are now being forcibly returned to face those same conditions,” said Ambassador Ashraf Haidari, Founder and President of Displaced International. “Afghanistan under the Taliban is marked by widespread insecurity, a collapsed state, economic ruin, gender apartheid, and systematic persecution of ethnic and sectarian minorities. No refugee should be sent back to such conditions.”

Pakistan, as a founding member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and a party to multiple regional humanitarian frameworks, has a moral, religious, and legal responsibility to uphold the rights and dignity of Afghan refugees, including women, children, and the elderly. We recognize Pakistan’s longstanding role as a host country, but underscore that forced return is not a durable solution and only compounds regional instability.

We call on the Government of Pakistan to:

• Immediately halt any plans for mass deportation and rescind directives encouraging forced repatriation;
• Honor its international obligations under customary international law, including the principle of non-refoulement;
• Work with the United Nations and regional partners to develop a protection-based framework for refugees;
• Address the root causes of displacement by supporting a legitimate, inclusive political solution in Afghanistan.

Displaced International remains committed to working with the people and government of Pakistan, as well as the international community, to ensure that Afghan refugees are protected—not punished—for a crisis they neither caused nor chose.

Take action and sign HERE our Petition to Halt the Forcible Deportation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan.