In an open letter addressed to the United Nations, and the international community, a group of rights activists and former military personnel has raised concerns over the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan and Iran.
The letter, endorsed by 44 movements, organisations, councils, associations, and cultural and social groups dedicated to supporting women, migrants, and other vulnerable populations, urges immediate action to halt these deportations.
The signatories highlight that Pakistan and Iran are deporting Afghan migrants without assessing their individual circumstances, a practice they argue violates the international obligations of both nations and fundamental human rights principles.
Field reports and documentation cited in the letter indicate that these deportations disproportionately affect high-risk groups, including former military personnel and security forces of Afghanistan’s previous government, women activists, journalists, human rights defenders, civil society leaders, religious and ethnic minorities, and unaccompanied or orphaned children.
The letter warns that forcibly returned individuals face severe risks in Afghanistan, including identification, arrest, torture, disappearance, execution, or extrajudicial punishment by the Taliban. It further underscores the dire situation for women and girls in Afghanistan, where Taliban-imposed restrictions exacerbate vulnerabilities. The forced return of women, the letter states, constitutes a grave breach of human rights, amounting to psychological torture and gender-based violence.
The coalition calls on international institutions and member states to establish emergency resettlement mechanisms, formalise the legal status of Afghan migrants, and hold relevant agencies—particularly the UN Refugee Agency—accountable for ending forced deportations. The letter stresses the urgent need for coordinated global action to protect Afghan migrants and uphold their rights.
