Uncertain Futures and Restricted Movement: Afghan Refugees in Tajikistan
- Genocide Watch
- 3 minutes ago
- 6 min read
By Kristie Moore
After the return of Taliban government to Afghanistan in 2021, former government employees and Afghan civilians fled the country, seeking safety in countries like Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Like in Iran and Pakistan, where governments have initiated mass deportations of Afghan refugees, the government of Tajikistan is making a similar move against Afghan refugees.
Located in Central Asia and sharing a major Southern border with Afghanistan, Tajikistan has had a long and complicated relationship with neighboring Afghanistan. Events in both countries have prompted movement across borders on numerous occasions. This includes the Tajik Civil War, which lasted from 1992 to 1997. During the five years of the war, roughly 80,000 to 100,000 Tajiks fled to Afghanistan. While many of them returned following the end of the Tajik Civil War, communities of ethnic Tajiks continue to reside in Afghanistan.
There have also been several phases of movement of Afghans to Tajikistan. Tajikistan has served as a refuge for citizens of Afghanistan fleeing the civil war in the 1990s, the United States (U.S) invasion in the 2000s, and the return of the Taliban in 2021. In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Kabul in 2021, the government of Tajikistan pledged to accept up to 100,000 Afghan refugees. This decision was in part tied to Tajikistan’s long-standing anti-Taliban stance. Unfortunately, due to pressure from Russia and the concerns of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), this offer never materialized. Similarly, at the end of 2024, it was estimated that around 9,902 Afghan refugees were registered in Tajikistan—although the number is likely to increase.
The Tajik government has deported Afghan refugees on numerous occasions, raising concerns and criticism from the United Nations (U.N.) and international communities. Under Taliban government in Afghanistan, individuals are at high risk of persecution and even execution. By highlighting the risks and ramifications of deportation of the refugee population, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Director of International Protection, Elizabeth Tan, called for government of Tajikistan to “stop detaining and deporting refugees, an action that clearly puts lives at risk”. It has been reported that during the fall of the former Afghan government in 2021, as many as 18 aircrafts brought government officials, soldiers, and family members tied to the former government to Tajikistan. In August 2022, Tajik authorities sent 5 Afghan families back to Afghanistan. By September 2022, an estimated 65 Afghans had been deported.
Life for Afghan refugees in Tajikistan is marked by uncertainty and hardship. Restrictions on freedom of movement are among the most pressing concerns. According to the Tajik government’s Resolution #325 of 2001, asylum seekers can reside only in designated districts. Additionally, those refugees residing in the country must regularly renew their residency documents. Many find themselves in prolonged legal limbo: they face limited pathways to citizenship in Tajikistan and few opportunities for resettlement elsewhere, as countries around the world continue to restrict access to Afghan refugees. These provisions and restrictions make Afghan refugees in Tajikistan vulnerable to mistreatment by police, who often attempt to extort bribes.
Economic challenges have further compounded the struggles facing Afghan refugees in Tajikistan. They have experienced poverty, poor housing conditions, and employment barriers due to lack of secure legal documentations. In addition, many face discrimination and social exclusion stemming from stereotypes that associate Afghans with terrorism, drug trafficking, and other forms of criminality.
Deportation has continued since 2022. In December 2024, the Tajik government deported 65 more Afghan refugees. In April 2025, 50 Afghans holding refugees' documents were deported. In June 2025, another 49 Afghans were deported for reasons that remain unclear. Among them, 36 held valid residency permits and 13 possessed valid visas. In early July 2025 Afghan refugees and asylum seekers in Taijkistan received an SMS message informing that they had 15 days to leave the country or face forced deportation. In the days that followed, dozens of Afghans were apprehended and taken away in vans in the Rudaki District of Dushanbe, a capital city of Tajikistan and in Vahdat, a town about 26 miles away from Dushanbe.
As fear of deportation spread among Afghan population in Tajikistan and the broader Tajik publics, authorities remained largely silent. Nearly three weeks later, the Press Center of Border Troops of State Committee for National Security, Tajikistan’s border protection authority, addressed the matter in a statement published through a state news agency. The authorities said the operation targeted individuals allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking, the spread of extremist ideology, and the provision of false information to obtain refugee status. However, the statement did not explain the deportation of Afghan refugees, many of whom held valid residency permits. According to multiple accounts, many deportations took place at workplaces, leaving families without information about the whereabouts of their family members and relatives. Most of those deported were men who served as the primary or sole providers for their households, leaving families facing significant economic uncertainty. While deported Afghans face high risk of persecution by the Taliban upon return, they also return to conditions of severe economic hardship, including widespread food insecurity, hunger, and limited access to necessities.
In May 2026, deportations once again became an issue of concern for Tajikistan’s Afghan population after a local news source reported the murder of a Tajik woman in the Sughd Province of Tajikistan. According to reports, Afghan citizen Rahmoni Muhammadumar allegedly killed local resident Aziza Vokhidova acting on “strong sexual attraction”. In the days following, there were reports of Afghan citizens being deported. On May 4, 2026, hundreds of migrants were detained and deported from the “Mehrbod” area of Jabbar Rasulov district in Sughd province. These individuals were taken away in 15-17 vehicles and transported to unknown locations. It is estimated that 200-250 Afghan migrants have been detained and relocated.
These deportations have had a profound impact on the daily lives of Afghans living in Tajikistan, particularly in Rudaki and Vahdat, which host most of the Afghan refugee communities. Fear of deportation has become pervasive, prompting many Afghans to limit their movements and remain indoors out of concern that they could be detained and removed from the country.
Throughout this period, the Tajik government remained largely silent. This was until Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security (GKNB) confirmed the deportation of Afghan refugees, stating that those removed had “grossly violated the requirements of the law.” According to the GKNB, authorities identified 670 cases of illegal drug trafficking, 32 cases involving membership in terrorist organizations, 15 cases of sexual violence against minors, 45 instances of gambling, and 594 instances in which forged documents being used to obtain refugee status. However, there has been some debate regarding the legitimacy of these claims as little substantive detail has been provided by state agencies.
Afghan refugees in Tajikistan face a difficult choice: navigate an uncertain future in Tajikistan or risk the dangers that may come with returning to a Taliban ruled Afghanistan. On the other hand, Tajikistan is the poorest country in Central Asia, and it simply lacks the economic, infrastructural, and logistical capabilities necessary to support refugee populations. Although Tajikistan seeks financial support from the international communities to support the refugee population, but its situation has been largely ignored by the international community. It is critical there is much work that needs to be done to promote better livelihoods for Afghan refugees, ensure their safety from deportation, and increase pathways for citizenship. This will require a concentrated effort from the Government of Tajikistan, local NGOs, and the International Community more broadly.
Genocide Watch considers Tajikistan to be at Stage 3: Discrimination for disallowing Afghan refugees from receiving citizenship and restricting where they can live and Stage 8: Persecution for their deportation of Afghan refugees in direct opposition of international law.
Genocide Watch Recommends:
Complying with Article 33 of the 1951 United Nation Refugee Convention to which government of Tajikistan is a signatory, it must immediately halt the deportation of Afghan refugees.
Countries with established refugee resettlement programs, which accept and help relocate Afghan refugees, must expand eligibility requirements and prioritize Afghan refugees, ensuring that those from Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asia are eligible.
The Government of Tajikistan should refrain from establishing diplomatic relations with the Taliban, risking the lives and safety of Afghan refugees residing in exile in other countries in Central Asia. Such cooperation with Taliban government would aid to deportation of vulnerable groups to Afghanistan, where they face persecution.
The Government of Tajikistan must invest in public awareness campaigns that mitigate stereotyping Afghanistan refugees. Such campaigns should highlight the migration of Tajiks to Afghanistan during the Tajik Civil War and their protection in Afghanistan.
International organizations and foreign governments must listen to the needs of Tajikistan and provide required support in the development of refugee infrastructure and contributing towards Tajikistan’s ability to manage and support its refugee population.
The Government of Tajikistan must expand legal pathways to citizenship for Afghan refugees who seek permanent residency in the country.
