Afghan Refugees Face Rising Pressure in Pakistan and Iran

Pakistani media have reported a growing campaign against Afghan refugees in the country, as authorities urge undocumented migrants to leave. The crackdown follows police operations and the arrest of dozens of Afghan nationals lacking legal documents.

According to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, after the detention of around 30 Afghan migrants during operations on Monday, Deputy Commissioner Shah Abduallah visited various areas of Landikotal on Tuesday. During his meetings with several Afghan families, he delivered a soft warning, asking them to vacate their homes before further operations begin.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Jamal Muslim, a migrants’ rights activist, expressed concern over the current situation, saying that the voices of institutions and agencies that defend refugee rights are barely heard these days. This has fueled growing concerns about the legal and humanitarian status of Afghan migrants.

In neighboring Iran, authorities began implementing a plan to deport undocumented individuals on April 9 this year. According to the head of the Iranian Ministry of Interior’s Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs, 1.6 million undocumented Afghan migrants have been expelled since the start of this initiative.

Naderyar Ahmadi, who leads the bureau, said millions of Afghan migrants still reside in Iran. However, due to illegal border crossings, hundreds of thousands remain in a precarious legal state, he added.

At the same time, Amnesty International, citing recent United Nations data, reported that over 2.6 million Afghan refugees have been deported from Iran and Pakistan this year, nearly 60% of whom are women and children.

The organization has called for an immediate halt to forced returns, warning that these deportations are taking place at a time when Afghanistan is grappling with severe humanitarian and environmental crises. Zaman Soltani, Amnesty’s South Asia researcher, cautioned that the increasing number of forced deportations is worsening the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

Previously, the Taliban administration, despite promises to facilitate the reintegration of returnees, has repeatedly called on host countries to stop the forced expulsion of Afghan refugees. However, human rights organizations argue that the lack of a clear plan and adequate capacity within Afghanistan has further compounded the challenges facing returning refugees.