Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees currently residing in Pakistan's capital region are being ordered to relocate by March 31, as part of a directive from the Pakistani government. This move aims to exert pressure on Western nations, including the United States, to expedite the resettlement process for these individuals.
The refugees have gathered in Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi, drawn by the presence of embassies and refugee agencies. The government has stated that those unable to secure resettlement in another country may face deportation back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, although the timeline for such deportations remains unspecified.
This announcement has heightened anxiety among the refugees, particularly the 15,000 who have applied for resettlement in the United States. The situation has been further complicated by an executive order from President Trump, which has temporarily suspended all refugee admissions to the U.S.
Many of these Afghan refugees previously worked with U.S.-led missions or NGOs funded by Western nations before the Taliban regained power in August 2021. Advocates argue that the U.S. government is failing to support its wartime allies by hindering their resettlement opportunities.
The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, and the International Organization for Migration have expressed concern that refugees facing deportation, especially those from ethnic and religious minority groups, women, journalists, human rights activists, and artists, could face persecution under the Taliban regime. They have urged Pakistan to consider human rights standards in any relocation measures.
One refugee, Sara Ahmadi, a former journalism student, shared her family's fears of deportation back to Afghanistan, which they fled to escape danger. Her family arrived in Islamabad in November 2021, hoping to resettle in the United States.
According to a spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, nearly 80,000 Afghan refugees have left Pakistan for other countries, while about 40,000 remain, including those awaiting approval from the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Pakistan has also deported hundreds of thousands of Afghans, both documented and undocumented, amid rising tensions with the Taliban. The Pakistani government accuses the Taliban of harboring militants responsible for cross-border attacks, a claim the Taliban denies.
Since January 1, there has been a reported increase in the arrests of Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, with over 800 deported from these cities. Ms. Ahmadi described her family's struggles with police harassment and high living costs in Islamabad, while maintaining hope for relocation to the U.S.
However, the suspension of refugee admissions has diminished her optimism. She expressed her distress over the new directive to evict Afghan refugees, stating, "It seems the U.S. has abandoned us," reflecting the despair felt by many in her situation.