Amnesty International Urges Halt to Forced Returns of Afghan Refugees

Amnesty International has called for an immediate end to the forced return of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, warning that such actions place the lives and dignity of those returned at serious risk.

In a report released on Tuesday, December 15, the organization referenced new UN statistics showing that more than 2.6 million Afghans were unlawfully returned from Iran and Pakistan in the current calendar year alone. Thousands more have been deported from Turkey and Tajikistan, the report added.

Amnesty stated that women and children account for approximately 60 percent of those forcibly returned—groups particularly vulnerable under the current conditions in Afghanistan. The organization highlighted an intensification of systematic human rights violations by the Taliban regime, including widespread restrictions on the lives, education, and employment of women and girls.

The rights group warned that a worsening humanitarian crisis—exacerbated by recent natural disasters—poses an increased threat of serious harm to returnees. It emphasized that the principle of non-refoulement, or the prohibition of forced returns, is a fundamental international obligation toward refugees.

The report also noted that some European countries have stepped up efforts to deport Afghan nationals. According to the findings, Germany, Austria, and the European Union have engaged in talks with Taliban authorities to facilitate these deportations—moves that have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations.

Smriti Singh, Amnesty International’s South Asia regional director, said that despite the Taliban’s widespread suppression of human rights, several countries are seeking to return Afghans to a country where there are systematic violations, particularly against women, girls, and dissenting voices. She added that over 22 million people—nearly half of Afghanistan’s population—are currently in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, concerns are rising over the increased pressure and forced expulsions of at-risk Afghan refugees, particularly from Pakistan and Iran. Afghan asylum seekers in these countries, especially in Pakistan, have reported arrests and harsh treatment, and are calling on international organizations to take serious action to stop the forced returns.