Mass deportation: Pakistan sends 80,000 Afghans back to Taliban territory

Mass deportation: Pakistan sends 80,000 Afghans back to Taliban territory

Since the end of March 2025, Pakistan has sent over 80,000 Afghan citizens back home. This figure was confirmed by a senior government official in Islamabad. The Pakistani Interior Ministry justifies the mass deportations with the alleged involvement of Afghan migrants in criminal activities and terrorist attacks. According to Kosmo, the Pakistani government plans to deport a total of around three million Afghans, further straining diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Taliban have rejected the allegations and condemned the coercive measures as unlawful. They accuse Pakistan of human rights violations and arbitrary deportations. Provisional tent camps have been set up on the Afghan side for the deportees, who, according to the UN and international aid organizations, suffer from miserable conditions. Particularly affected are women, children and vulnerable people who face homelessness, hunger and inadequate medical care.

Additional effects of repatriations

The situation for many Afghans who have fled to Pakistan in recent months is becoming increasingly critical. According to a report by Spiegel, over 100,000 Afghans have left the country due to the threat of expulsion leave. Many returnees fear persecution by the Taliban and face catastrophic economic conditions in Afghanistan. The human rights situation has deteriorated sharply since the Taliban came to power in August 2021, particularly for women and girls who are excluded from basic rights and freedoms.

Returning Afghans suffer from unemployment and inadequate health care. Human Rights Watch calls on Pakistan to stop forced returns and for the Taliban to facilitate a peaceful return. Pakistani police have reportedly used violent measures: houses were searched and people suffered serious ill-treatment. Many returnees cited fear of arrest as the reason for their return.

Future of the returnees

The economic situation in Afghanistan is disastrous. The country is de facto excluded from the international banking system, which further exacerbates the crisis. Over 22 million Afghans are dependent on emergency aid and 3.5 million children are acutely malnourished. The returnees have often left their property behind in Pakistan and find hardly any income opportunities in Afghanistan. Adequate health care, especially for women and girls, is not available. Peace and stability remain a long way off and many returnees face an uncertain future. The international community is called upon to defuse the humanitarian situation and help the affected Afghans.