Emergency Update: Lives in the Balance – Afghan Refugees Under Threat in Pakistan and Iran
Afghan refugees are facing an acute humanitarian and human rights crisis as Pakistan and Iran continue large-scale forced repatriations. As of May 2025, nearly 1.5 million Afghans have been expelled from Pakistan, and hundreds of thousands more from Iran—many of them women, children, journalists, former civil servants, and human rights defenders at risk of persecution under Taliban rule. These actions violate international legal standards, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to countries where they face threats to life or freedom. The current situation in Afghanistan is profoundly unstable, with a collapsed economy, widespread human rights violations, targeted reprisals, and a severe humanitarian crisis. Conditions remain entirely incompatible with safe, dignified, and voluntary return.
Afghanistan under the Taliban: Unsafe for Return
Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has descended into a state of repression, insecurity, and economic collapse:
- Human Rights Violations: Women and girls face systemic exclusion from education and employment. Civil liberties are severely curtailed. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented widespread torture, arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, and persecution of minorities, former government workers, and activists.
- Targeted Persecution: Afghan refugees, especially women’s rights advocates, journalists, and individuals affiliated with the former government or international missions, face credible threats of imprisonment or death if returned. In many cases, return equals retribution.
- Humanitarian Catastrophe: According to the UN, over 23 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian assistance. Food insecurity, lack of medical care, and a crippled economy mean returnees are met not with reintegration support, but starvation and destitution.
- No Reintegration Infrastructure: Afghanistan lacks the capacity to reintegrate returnees. There is no housing, no jobs, and no social safety net. Those expelled often arrive without belongings, shelter, or access to basic services
Violation of International Law
Pakistan and Iran’s actions blatantly violate international refugee law, including:
- The Principle of Non-Refoulement (1951 Refugee Convention & customary international law): prohibits returning individuals to a country where their life or freedom is at risk.
- The Convention Against Torture (CAT): bars states from expelling individuals to places where they may face torture or inhumane treatment.
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 14 recognizes the right to seek asylum from persecution.
These principles apply regardless of formal refugee status. The claim that undocumented refugees are not entitled to protection is legally and morally indefensible.
Pakistan and Iran’s Role and Responsibilities
Both Pakistan and Iran have hosted millions of Afghan refugees over the decades. But these recent deportations—often abrupt, arbitrary, and violent—betray a historical commitment to solidarity and violate their international obligations. Reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch indicate:
- Harassment and Arbitrary Arrests: Refugees have been detained in overcrowded jails, subjected to extortion, and separated from family members.
- Lack of Due Process: Individuals are often expelled without the opportunity to claim asylum or contest their deportation.
- No Differentiation of Cases: Vulnerable individuals—including pregnant women, the elderly, unaccompanied children, and those with pending resettlement cases—are not being screened or protected.
This is not a managed return—it is forced refoulement.
Recommendations and Urgent Calls to Action
- Immediate Moratorium on Deportations: Pakistan and Iran must halt all forced repatriations and allow Afghan refugees to remain in safety.
- Reaffirm the Principle of Non-Refoulement: The international community must hold both governments accountable for upholding refugee protection standards.
- Expand Legal Pathways for Resettlement: Third countries—especially those with past involvement in Afghanistan—must increase quotas and expedite resettlement and humanitarian visas.
- Ensure Access to Asylum Procedures: Pakistan and Iran must allow Afghans to register for protection and pursue resettlement or asylum claims without fear of detention or deportation.
- Support Host Countries with Resources: International donors and UN agencies must boost support to Pakistan and Iran so that refugee populations can be housed, fed, and integrated without overwhelming local systems.
Conclusion
Afghan refugees are not migrants of convenience. They are survivors of war, tyranny, and gender apartheid. Forcibly returning them to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is tantamount to a death sentence, indefinite oppression, or a life of deprivation. We must not let border policies override basic humanity and international law. Now, more than ever, is the time for the global community to stand up for the rights of Afghan refugees and ensure that return is only possible when it is truly voluntary, safe, and dignified—not coerced, forced, or punished.
To take action:
- Support advocacy by signing petitions at Displaced International.
- Donate to emergency assistance efforts through Displaced International.
Support Our Emergency
Appeals for Saving Lives
Displaced International empowers displaced people worldwide by providing resources, advocacy, and support to help them rebuild their lives and communities.
