Pakistan Threatens Mass Deportation of Afghan Refugees Amidst US Resettlement Delays

Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan has issued a fresh warning to Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement in the United States, stating that they will be deported back to Afghanistan if their cases are rejected or not processed on time. The announcement comes as tensions between Islamabad and Kabul continue to escalate over the refugee crisis.

During an interview with local media in Turkey, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar declared that any Afghan refugee whose relocation process to a third country is stalled or denied will be considered an illegal immigrant and forced to return to Afghanistan.

“If any refugee who was undertaken to be taken by another country after due process—no matter the timeline—if it doesn’t happen and the country refuses, then for us, that will be an illegal immigrant in Pakistan, and we might be forced to send such refugee back to (their) original country, which is Afghanistan,” Dar told reporters, as quoted by Voice of America (VOA).

US Resettlement Program Suspended

The threat of deportation comes after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the US Refugee Admissions Program, stating that further refugee entries must align with American interests. The decision has left thousands of Afghan refugees in limbo, as they had hoped to be resettled in the US after fleeing the Taliban regime.

So far, the Afghan government has not officially responded to Pakistan’s latest deportation warning.

Crackdown on Afghan Refugees Intensifies

Alongside its threats of mass deportation, Pakistan has also continued its crackdown on Afghan refugees, drawing international criticism from human rights organizations. According to reports from Afghan news outlet Amu TV, Pakistan is set to deport Afghan women’s rights activist Zahra Mousavi, a member of the Afghan Women Justice Movement, who is currently detained in Islamabad.

Despite repeated warnings from global human rights groups, Pakistani authorities have escalated their actions against Afghan refugees, arresting them in their homes and on the streets under various pretexts.

The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad recently reported that nearly 800 Afghan nationals were detained in the Pakistani capital. Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, the Acting Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, stated that many of those arrested held valid visas and residency permits, yet they were taken into custody by Pakistani police.

Afghan Refugees Face an Uncertain Future

Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan for decades, particularly during the Soviet invasion, civil wars, and, most recently, following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The resurgence of the Taliban led to a mass exodus, with millions of Afghans migrating to Pakistan out of fear of persecution, violence, and economic collapse.

However, since 2023, Pakistan has intensified mass deportations and adopted harsher policies against Afghan refugees, leading to widespread concern over their safety and rights. Reports from Afghan media have highlighted the worsening conditions for Afghan migrants, including hundreds of women and children being detained and forcibly deported.

With tensions rising and Pakistan standing firm on its stance, the fate of thousands of Afghan refugees remains uncertain, as international organizations urge Islamabad to halt the deportations and respect humanitarian commitments.