The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called on Tajikistan to halt the deportation of Afghan refugees, urging Dushanbe to immediately cease this practice.
The request follows Tajikistan’s deportation of dozens of Afghan refugees last month. UNHCR stated that at least 80 Afghan refugees were forcibly returned to Afghanistan in December 2024.
UNHCR noted that many of those deported possessed valid documents and refugee cards, emphasizing that such deportations violate international protection standards.
According to UNHCR, approximately 9,000 Afghan refugees were residing in Tajikistan by the end of 2024, making the recent deportations a significant concern for the agency.
Meanwhile, the deportation of Afghan migrants has also accelerated in neighboring countries like Iran and Pakistan. Reports indicate that Iran alone deported 586,000 undocumented Afghans from the beginning of this solar year to early January 2025.
Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has reported that nearly 12,000 Afghan migrants returned to the country from Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey in the past three weeks.
The increasing deportations of Afghan refugees by neighboring countries and Tajikistan highlight the growing pressure on displaced populations amid Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. These actions risk further destabilizing already vulnerable communities.
UNHCR’s appeal underscores the importance of international cooperation to address the plight of Afghan refugees. Long-term solutions require balancing the host countries’ concerns with the refugees’ safety and adherence to international protection laws.
