Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have raised serious concern over reported US plans to deport dozens of Afghan immigrants to Pakistan, with the aim of eventually sending them back to their home country. The statement was issued on Monday and came from the foreign ministry, which said it was troubled by reports that Washington intends to remove Afghan refugees who lack legal residency documents in Pakistan.
US media reports and an advocacy group said more than 150 Afghans living in the United States would be sent to Afghanistan via Pakistan. Those expected to be removed reportedly include relatives of people who helped US forces before their withdrawal in 2021.
Taliban foreign ministry urges a responsible US approach
Foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement that the Islamic Emirate “expresses its serious concern” over the reports. He urged Washington to adopt a responsible and measured approach and to weigh the rights and legitimate demands of the people involved before making any decisions about their future.
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Balkhi added that Kabul was ready to engage on the issue in a practical and mutually understanding way. Advocacy groups have warned that removing former allies and their families could endanger their lives.
AfghanEvac, a group that helps former Afghan allies, said relatives of Afghans who assisted the US military before the fall of Kabul were among those expected to be deported.
US immigration crackdown and deportation protections
After regaining power, the Taliban announced a general amnesty for Afghans who worked with Western-backed forces and governments. The authorities have repeatedly promised this year that their former opponents could return home safely, but the United Nations has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions and abuses.
President Donald Trump’s administration issued travel bans last year for several countries, Afghanistan included, as part of a broad immigration crackdown. It also sought to end deportation protections for Afghans, some of whom had received special immigrant visas after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
The United States cannot arrange deportations directly to Afghanistan, but anonymous US officials said Pakistan would oversee the expulsions. Germany and Turkiye have in recent years deported Afghan nationals straight to Afghanistan, despite concerns from human rights groups about the risks returnees face.
Strained Pakistan-Afghanistan ties and repatriation drive
Pakistan’s government earlier this year ordered law enforcement nationwide to arrest Afghan citizens without visas. The move is part of a years-long repatriation policy that has sent back millions of Afghans who fled decades of war.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fraught since the Taliban took power and deteriorated after deadly border clashes last October, which led to a near-total closure of the border.
