Pakistan’s plan to deport over 1.4 million Afghan nationals after November 1 has raised concerns at the United Nations, with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) calling for a suspension of the move to prevent potential human rights violations.
The OHCHR expressed extreme alarm at Pakistan’s deportation announcement, citing the presence of over two million undocumented Afghans in the country, many of whom fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
The group of undocumented Afghans includes civil society activists, journalists, human rights defenders, former government officials, and security force members.
Furthermore, women and girls among them face a grim situation in Afghanistan, as they are prohibited from obtaining secondary and tertiary education and working in many sectors due to Taliban policies.
If Pakistan proceeds with the deportation, the OHCHR warns that the deportees could be subjected to human rights violations upon return to Afghanistan, including torture, cruel treatment, arbitrary arrest, and detention.
The deportation plan was announced on October 3, and the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have reported a significant increase in Afghan deportations.
According to a joint report from the UNHCR and IOM, 59,780 Afghans fled Pakistan between October 3 and October 14, with 78% of them expressing fears of re-arrest in Pakistan.
UN officials are calling for a suspension of forcible returns before the November 1 deadline to prevent a potential human rights catastrophe.
They emphasize the need to provide protection to those in need and ensure that any future returns are safe, dignified, voluntary, and compliant with international law.
The UN also highlights that mass deportations or deportations without individualized assessments of personal circumstances would constitute a violation of international human rights law, particularly the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The situation is further complicated by the approaching winter and the recent earthquakes in Afghanistan’s Herat Province.
The earthquakes have resulted in significant casualties and displacement, intensifying the humanitarian crisis in the country.
UN officials emphasize the international human rights obligations that remain in place for Afghanistan and the duty to protect and fulfill human rights.
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