Amnesty International Demands Global Halt to Afghan Deportations, Citing Catastrophic Rights Crisis

In a stark report released on December 16, 2025, Amnesty International has issued an urgent global call for all countries to immediately halt the forced deportation of refugees and asylum seekers to Afghanistan, where they face systematic human rights abuses and a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.

The warning comes as new United Nations data reveals that over 2.6 million Afghans have been deported or returned from neighboring countries in 2025 alone, primarily from Iran and Pakistan. A devastating 60% of these individuals are women and children. Additional forced returns have been documented from Turkey and Tajikistan, signaling a disturbing regional trend of pushing Afghans back into danger.

A Perfect Storm of Persecution and Crisis

These mass returns are occurring against a backdrop of severe and worsening repression under Taliban rule. The rights group documents a targeted campaign against:

• Women and Girls: Subjected to severe gender apartheid, systematically denied education beyond primary levels, employment, and freedom of movement.

• Former Government and Security Personnel: Facing arbitrary detention, torture, extrajudicial killings, and ongoing threats.

• Journalists and Human Rights Defenders: Operating under extreme censorship, intimidation, and violence.

• Individuals Associated with International Organizations: Perceived as opposing Taliban ideology, leaving them vulnerable to persecution.

Amnesty’s report, based on interviews conducted between July and November 2025 with recently deported Afghans and those facing imminent expulsion, paints a harrowing picture. Returnees described being detained, tortured, and threatened by Taliban authorities. The humanitarian situation compounds this peril, with a collapsed economy, widespread hunger, and devastating natural disasters leaving returnees destitute, indebted, and without access to basic services or livelihoods.

International Law and a “Dangerous Rush” to Deport

Amnesty International underscores that deportations to Afghanistan blatantly violate the fundamental principle of non-refoulement under international refugee and human rights law. This principle prohibits states from returning anyone to a territory where they would face a real risk of persecution, torture, or other irreparable harm.

Despite this clear obligation, the report notes that several European states, including Germany and Austria, as well as the European Union itself, are actively pursuing or negotiating deportation agreements with the Taliban’s de facto authorities. These discussions proceed despite the regime’s widespread repression and its utter failure to provide any meaningful protection or safety for returnees.

“This dangerous rush to forcibly return people to Afghanistan is a blatant disregard for international law and the horrific reality on the ground,” said Smriti Singh, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for South Asia. “It cynically ignores the very reasons people fled—persecution, violence, and despair—and knowingly throws millions, especially women and girls, back into the path of serious danger. States are outsourcing their refugee responsibilities to a regime that is itself the source of the persecution.”

Documented Atrocities and a Call to Action

The findings are corroborated by UN monitoring. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 21 cases of arbitrary detention and torture, and 14 killings of former security force members between July and September 2025 alone.

In response to this crisis, Amnesty International calls for:

1. An immediate and universal halt to all forced returns to Afghanistan, including deportations, “voluntary” returns under coercion, and rejected asylum claims.

2. The expansion of safe and legal pathways for Afghans in need of protection, including robust resettlement programs, humanitarian visas, and family reunification schemes, with priority for at-risk groups.

3. Increased international cooperation, funding, and diplomatic pressure to address the root causes of displacement and hold the Taliban accountable for human rights violations.

4. Continued support for humanitarian operations inside Afghanistan to alleviate suffering, while ensuring assistance does not legitimize or entrench the Taliban’s abusive policies.

The organization concludes that failing to act is not only a violation of legal obligations but a profound moral failure. With the situation inside Afghanistan deteriorating and millions at risk, the international community must choose protection over peril and uphold the right to seek safety from persecution.