UN Experts Appalled By Mass Forced Returns Of Afghan Nationals

GENEVA (18 July 2025) – UN experts* today condemned ongoing mass returns of Afghan nationals – many of them refugees – from Iran and Pakistan, as well as threatened or actual forced returns from other countries.

“The scale is staggering: more than 1.9 million Afghans have returned or been forced to return to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan so far in 2025,” the experts said. More than 300,000 people have returned from Pakistan and over a 1.5 million from Iran, including 410,000 who have been deported from Iran since 24 June. Thousands of the returnees are unaccompanied children. Following the Iran-Israel conflict, forced returns of Afghan nationals have escalated, including those with valid documentation. Security-related discourse has intensified anti-Afghan sentiment.

“Returns must be halted immediately,” the experts said. “Afghanistan is not a safe country for returnees, given the constantly deteriorating human rights situation since the Taliban seized control, nearly four years ago.”

“Those forced to return have genuine fears for their safety and security and face very real risks of persecution, threats, and violent reprisals,” they said.

The experts stressed that women and girls are systematically deprived of their fundamental rights, while LGBT and gender-diverse persons face criminalisation. Last week, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the Taliban’s “Supreme Leader” and Chief Justice, who are accused of the crime against humanity of persecution on gender and political grounds.

Former security and government officials, including judges and prosecutors, those critical of Taliban policies, such as human rights defenders and journalists, as well as religious and ethnic minorities are at particular risk of reprisals and serious harms if they are returned, the experts stated.

“No government should ignore these very real dangers in Afghanistan – doing so would constitute an abandonment of their moral and legal responsibility.”

UN experts have repeatedly warned that these returns may violate the principle of non-refoulement referenced in UNHCR’s February 2023 non return advisory. They reiterated that States, due to the sheer quantity and forceful nature of returns, cannot ensure that Afghan nationals have access to fair procedures where their individual protection needs are fully assessed. Many Afghans have experienced discrimination, mistreatment, arbitrary arrest and detention, raising serious concerns under international refugee and human rights law.

“We are concerned that more States are considering to deport or forcefully return Afghans, and some have halted or suspended resettlement programmes, leaving at-risk and vulnerable Afghans in limbo – including those whose cases have previously been approved for resettlement,” the experts said.

They stressed the need for an increased humanitarian response for Afghanistan and host countries to address the international protection needs of the population. More than four million Afghans have been internally displaced as a result of conflict and disasters.

The experts also urged the expansion of resettlement and complementary pathways to third countries along with measures to facilitate departures from host countries.

“Amid large numbers of returnees arriving in Afghanistan, we call on all Member States to urgently provide adequate funding to organisations providing desperately needed humanitarian and reintegration support for Afghans,” they said.

The experts expressed particular concern about the separation of families, including children, and specific risks for women, especially women-headed households and those without a mahram. “The situation is being exacerbated by the Taliban’s restrictions on women humanitarian workers,” they said.

*The experts:

• Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan;
• Mai Sato, Special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran;
• Gehad Madi, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants;
• Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons;

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