• Analysis
US Deportation of Afghan Migrants via Pakistan Draws Taliban Concern
The Taliban government said Monday it is seriously concerned over reported US plans to deport more than 150 Afghan migrants to Pakistan for eventual return to Afghanistan, including relatives of those who aided US forces before the 2021 withdrawal.
Taliban foreign ministry statement
Foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement that Kabul had learned of the reported arrangement. "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan expresses its serious concern over reports that the United States intends to deport some Afghan refugees to Pakistan," he said, referring to Afghans who lack legal residency documents in Pakistan.
He urged "the United States of America to adopt a responsible and measured approach in this regard," asking that decisions on Afghans' fate be made with coordination and consideration of individuals' rights.
The Afghan side is ready to interact in this regard in a practical and mutually understanding manner
Who is expected to be deported
According to US media reports and an advocacy group, more than 150 Afghans are expected to be removed, among them relatives of people who assisted US forces before the 2021 withdrawal.
- •AfghanEvac, a group helping former Afghan allies, said relatives of Afghans who assisted the US military are among those expected to be deported
- •Anonymous US officials told The New York Times that Pakistan will oversee the expulsion of the Afghans to Afghanistan, since the US cannot deport directly there
Warnings for former allies
Advocacy groups have warned that the removal of former allies and their families could endanger their lives. The Taliban authorities announced a general amnesty for Afghans who worked with Western-backed forces and governments and repeated this year that former foes could safely return. The United Nations, however, has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions and abuses in Afghanistan.
US immigration crackdown and Pakistan's policy
President Donald Trump's administration last year issued travel bans for a number of countries, including Afghanistan, as part of a broad immigration crackdown. It has also sought to end deportation protections for Afghans, some of whom were granted special immigrant visas following the 2021 takeover.
Pakistan earlier this year ordered law enforcement nationwide to arrest Afghan citizens without visas under a years-long repatriation policy that has pushed back millions of Afghans. Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been fraught since the Taliban took power, and worsened after deadly border clashes last October that led to the near-total closure of the border.
Balkhi said the Afghan side stands ready to engage on the matter in a practical and mutually understanding manner.
