New Wave of Deportations of Afghan Refugees; Silent Human Rights Crisis in the Shadow of the International Community’s Neglect

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: Abdul Razaq Adil, an expert on refugee and returnee affairs, stated in an interview with AVA that the new wave of deportations of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries, especially Iran and Pakistan, not only has humanitarian dimensions, but will also have more serious security, social and economic consequences.
According to Adeel, the process of forced deportation of refugees, which in many cases is accompanied by humiliation, violence, confiscation of property and disregard for human dignity, indicates a silent crisis in the field of human rights that has received little attention from the world.
Global Neglect and Lack of Diplomatic Capacity; Reasons for Continuing Pressure on Afghan Refugees
Mr. Adeel considered the main reason for the silence of the international community towards the situation of Afghan refugees to be the downplaying of the Afghan crisis in political and media priorities, adding: "Neighboring countries, in the shadow of the international community's negligence, are implementing stricter policies on Afghan refugees and are in fact committing oppression."
On the other hand, according to Adeel, the lack of an official government in Afghanistan has also severely weakened the country's diplomatic capacity to negotiate and put pressure on neighboring countries to support Afghan citizens abroad.
This refugee affairs expert emphasized that if the process of expelling Afghan refugees by neighboring countries continues in this way, it will have numerous consequences, including increasing poverty and unemployment in the country.
Mr. Adeel stated that Afghanistan, considering the unfavorable economic situation, does not have the capacity to bear the return of a larger number of refugees, adding: "Currently, neither the possibility of absorbing more refugees within the country is available, nor is the infrastructure for employment and basic services ready."
Warning of the consequences of unplanned return of refugees
He also warned that in a situation where Afghanistan is facing various crises, the widespread and unplanned return of refugees can lead to social instability and even lead to internal conflicts over resources and services.
According to Adeel, in the absence of domestic support programs, the indiscriminate return of refugees from neighboring countries, in a short period of time, can have the opposite result and cause an increase in new illegal migration, especially through very dangerous routes.
Mr. Adeel noted: “Realistically, it must be said that Afghanistan currently does not have the capacity to accommodate a large number of refugees in a dignified and humane manner.”
Afghanistan is unable to accept the large-scale return of refugees
According to him, the necessary infrastructure, including financial resources, health, educational and security services, to support refugees within the country are not available, and it is not even possible to absorb a part of this population at present.
Adeel added: The temporary camps that have been established so far often lack basic living facilities. Therefore, the indiscriminate and increasing return of refugees will put significant pressure on Afghanistan’s limited infrastructure, and the current government will not be able to fully respond to the needs of these refugees.
Finally, he called on neighboring countries to stop the current process of expelling refugees and, given the humanitarian and social consequences of this action, to also consider Afghanistan’s inevitabilities in order to prevent the formation of a new humanitarian crisis.
Dr. Nazari: Our policy is good neighborliness, we expect humane treatment
Dr. Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in an interview with the Afghan Voice News Agency (AVA), called the current treatment of Afghan refugees by neighboring countries unacceptable and called on them to treat them well and in accordance with human principles and international law.
Mr. Nazari also stated that the policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is based on good neighborliness with neighboring countries, and we expect them to adhere to the same principle, especially with regard to Afghan refugees.
He emphasized that neighboring countries should treat Afghan refugees well and in accordance with international rules and standards.
Dr. Nazari also announced Afghanistan's readiness to accept returnees and said: "The Islamic Emirate is trying to provide education, employment, and housing for refugees who return to their homeland."
These statements come as the process of the second phase of deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has intensified in recent days. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Refugees announced yesterday in an interview with Ava that from April 1 to 11, 2025, about 23,000 Afghan refugees have returned to the country from Pakistan. These refugees have received some emergency assistance upon their return.
45,000 refugees deported in ten days; a 31 percent increase compared to last November
On the other hand, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced yesterday that, along with the start of the second phase of forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, 44,900 refugees have returned to Afghanistan from this country in the past ten days.
According to the organization, 14,100 of these people have been forcibly deported from Pakistan.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report states that the number of forced deportations in the past ten days is 31 percent higher than the number that began in the first ten days of November 2023. According to the report, the deportations from Pakistan also include people who held Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACCs).