THE UN Refugee Agency has urged Pakistan to exempt Afghans with international protection needs from forced repatriation, expressing concern over the country’s plan to return refugees who have held official documentation for decades.
UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said at a Geneva press briefing that the agency has “expressed concern over Pakistan’s intention to forcibly return Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.”
On July 31, Pakistan confirmed that Afghan refugees would be repatriated under its ongoing “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.” Since then, UNHCR has received reports of arrests and detention of Afghans across the country, including those holding PoR cards.
“We acknowledge and appreciate Pakistan’s generosity in hosting refugees for over 40 years amid its own challenges,” Baloch said. “However, given that those holding PoR cards have been recognised as refugees for decades, their forced return is contrary to Pakistan’s long-standing humanitarian approach to this group and would constitute a violation of the principle of non-refoulement.”
The principle of non-refoulement prohibits countries from returning refugees to territories where they face persecution or threats to their lives.
Baloch said UNHCR “remains particularly concerned about women and girls forced to return to a country where their human rights are at risk, as well as other groups who might be endangered.”
The UN agency called on Pakistani authorities “to ensure that any return of Afghans to Afghanistan is voluntary, safe and dignified.”
UNHCR has welcomed Pakistan’s decision to grant an additional one-month “grace period” for PoR card validity, which the agency had been seeking to extend.
“UNHCR strongly urges the Government of Pakistan to apply measures to exempt Afghans with continued international protection needs from involuntary return,” Baloch said. The agency also appealed “to Pakistan’s established goodwill to allow legal stay for Afghans with medical needs, those currently pursuing higher education, or in mixed marriages.”
Baloch noted that UNHCR “has expressed its readiness to support the Government to establish the necessary mechanisms” for such exemptions.
The spokesperson warned that mass returns are exacerbating Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis. “The large-scale return of Afghans this year from neighbouring countries has put immense pressure on basic services, housing and livelihoods, and the host communities themselves, worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan,” he said.
“Mass and hasty returns significantly heighten protection needs, and risk instability in Afghanistan and the region, including onward movement,” Baloch added.
According to UNHCR figures, over 2.1 million Afghans have returned or been forced to return to Afghanistan this year, including 352,000 from Pakistan.
The situation has drawn international attention as Afghanistan continues to face severe restrictions on women’s rights and freedoms under Taliban rule, raising concerns about the safety of returnees, particularly women and girls.
