Human Rights Watch Warns France Against Deporting Afghan Refugees to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan

Human Rights Watch Warns France Against Deporting Afghan Refugees to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged France not to forcibly return Afghan nationals to Afghanistan, warning that deportees could face arbitrary detention, persecution, torture and other serious human rights abuses under Taliban rule.

According to Afghanistan’s Shafaqna news agency, Fereshteh Abbasi, HRW’s Afghanistan researcher, criticized France’s decision to hold technical talks with Taliban authorities on the return of Afghan migrants without legal residency permits who are considered a public security risk. She warned that forced returns could violate the international principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits transferring people to countries where they face a real risk of persecution or torture.

France’s Foreign Ministry announced the talks despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations with the Taliban since the group regained power in August 2021. Similar deportation efforts have emerged elsewhere in Europe, including Germany and Austria, amid growing political pressure for stricter immigration controls.

Human Rights Watch called on French authorities to assess each case individually and ensure that no Afghan national is returned to circumstances that threaten their life, safety or fundamental rights. The organization stressed that immigration enforcement must comply with international human rights and refugee protection obligations.