Humanitarian Crisis, Forceful Deportation of Refugees to Afghanistan

Humanitarian Crisis, Mass Migration and Forceful Deportation of Refugees to Afghanistan

Since the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, thousands of Afghans have fled to the neighboring countries either legally or illegally and now face forceful deportation.

Over the past year, Afghanistan witnessed major internal displacement and mass migration mostly due to the recent regime change and economic reasons.

Thousands of Afghans migrate to the neighboring counties including Pakistan, Iran and Turkey through illegal pathways on daily basis. In search of safety and a better life, they definitely face overwhelming challenges throughout this risky journey. Some even died on the way before reaching the final destination, others go through serious mistreatment and humiliation.

Besides all these challenges, Afghan refugees with no legal status in the host countries including Iran, Pakistan and Turkey face the danger of forceful deportation. More than 10,000 Afghan refugees return from Iran and Turkey on a monthly basis, according to the Refugees and Repatriation Department of western Herat province.

Meanwhile, the government of Pakistan in a statement announced last month that Afghan refugees with no legal status from UNHCR or the interior ministry of Pakistan beyond December 2022 will face imprisonment and deportation. Pakistan hosts the largest number of Afghan refugees in the region for nearly the past three decades.

“If employment opportunities are created in a safe and secure environment, no one would dare to leave the country and face the humiliation and mistreatment in the neighboring countries,” a returnee from Iran said.

On the other hand, Maulvi Hafez Mirza Abu Muhammad Mansour, head of labor and social affairs of Herat, said that the caretaker government is working on a comprehensive plan to find employment opportunities overseas and send Afghan employees to Gulf countries.