Afghan Deportations by Pakistan and Iran
- Genocide Watch
- 14 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Human Rights Implications of Afghan Deportations by Pakistan and Iran
By Juliana Girotto
The mass deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan in 2025 has created a significant human rights crisis, raising concerns about violations of international protection standard and the safety of people returning to Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Afghanistan now faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with the majority of the population dependent on aid and millions experiencing food insecurity. Taliban governance has been characterized by widespread repression, including arbitrary detention, censorship, and systemic discrimination against vulnerable groups. These conditions have forced many to emigrate from the country since the shift to Taliban governance in 2021.
Since 2023, more than five million Afghan refugees have been deported to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan. In 2025 alone, the number of returnees were 2.6 million. On top of already high levels of poverty and overstretched humanitarian aid throughout Afghanistan, the mass returns are likely to exacerbate country’s fragile socio-political stability, placing returnees at heightened risk of violence and perpetuating ongoing cycles of displacement.
In 2023, the Pakistani government issued the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), which aimed to regulate foreign nationals in Pakistan and ensure that those staying in the country illegally are deported to their country of origin. The enforcement of this plan escalated in 2025, initiating a campaign to demonize Afghan nationals as “criminals” and “terrorists”.
In March 2025, the Pakistani government set the end of the month as a deadline for all Afghan nationals to leave the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, allowing some to relocate to other cities within Pakistan and deporting others to Afghanistan. In July 2025, the Pakistani government reaffirmed its commitment to continuing the deportation of Afghan refugees under the IFRP framework. Even Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration cards and individuals who had resided in Pakistan for decades are not exempt from the mass deportation campaign. On March 20, 2025, the Iranian government announced that registration documents known as “headcount slips” would automatically expire. In lieu of a formal asylum system, this form of documentation had provided Afghan refugees in Iran with temporary protection against deportation and access to some social services, such as education, healthcare, and work authorization. The automatic expiration of this registration system effectively stripped refugees of all legal protections, making over two million Afghan refugees vulnerable to potential arrest and deportation and restricting their access to socioeconomic services. As reported, in the period following the expiration of the headcount slip system, one million Afghan refugees were unlawfully expelled from Iran.
Under Taliban rule, individuals returning to Afghanistan after having fled as refugees are not only forced into an unstable environment but also face a heightened risk of human rights abuses. These abuses include threats, torture, mistreatment, arbitrary arrest, and detention. Many returnees have also been forced into hiding due to due to threats from Taliban authorities upon their return. Further, violence and repercussions against returned refugees have been particularly targeted at certain groups, including women, media and civil society workers, and individuals affiliated with the government that fell in 2021. After returning to Afghanistan, these groups are particularly vulnerable and yet fail to receive special protection from deportation from Pakistan and Iran.
The deportation of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran back to Afghanistan is a direct violation of international law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement. This principle constitutes an essential protection under international human rights, refugee, humanitarian, and customary law. It guarantees that no one should be returned to a country where they would face torture, inhumane or degrading treatment, and other forms of irreparable harm.
The large-scale return of Afghans increases socioeconomic and humanitarian strain within the country and places certain groups at heightened risk of human rights violations. The United Nations and many civil society organizations have demanded that authorities in Pakistan and Iran ensure that any returns to Afghanistan are voluntary, safe, and dignified. As the issue persists, these efforts have yet to have much impact. Genocide Watch recommends:
The governments of Pakistan and Iran must immediately halt forced deportations and ensure all returns comply with the principle of non-refoulement.
The international community must increase humanitarian assistance and protection pathways for Afghan refugees, while holding Pakistan and Iran accountable for violations of international human rights law.
The governments of Pakistan and Iran must restore legal protections for Afghan refugees and guarantee access to basic services, while prioritizing safeguards for high-risk groups such as women and people working in high-risk professions, including people working as security forces, medical professionals, civil society activists, and human rights defenders, among others.
