Pakistan Accused of Forcibly Deporting Afghan Journalists as RSF Raises Alarm

Pakistan Accused of Forcibly Deporting Afghan Journalists as RSF Raises Alarm
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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has warned that conditions for Afghan journalists in Pakistan have sharply deteriorated, with at least 20 journalists forcibly returned to Afghanistan in 2025, The Independent reported. The press-freedom group says the pace of deportations is accelerating, leaving dozens of others in fear of arrest at any time.

According to the RSF report, Afghan journalists who had fled Taliban reprisals had been hoping to remain temporarily in Pakistan while awaiting resettlement visas for third countries. RSF states that around 200 journalists it assists are still waiting for relocation, as resettlement processes in Western countries have stalled, sometimes for years. Many, now without valid visas due to prolonged bureaucratic delays, face arrest, detention and deportation.

The group says it has received a rising number of appeals in the past six months from Afghan journalists detained by Pakistani police. Several were held in overcrowded facilities and deported within hours, including at least 20 individuals connected to RSF.

Pakistan has not responded to the RSF report, though authorities maintain that only undocumented migrants are being removed and that no person with valid documents is being expelled.

Testimonies gathered by RSF describe repeated police raids, demands for bribes, suspended visa renewals and fear of deportation. One journalist said his family members were detained in his absence, while another described poor conditions in detention before being sent across the Torkham border. A deported female journalist said crossing back into Afghanistan felt like “walking without a soul,” describing severe psychological distress.

RSF has urged Pakistan to halt expulsions and called on the international community to reopen resettlement pathways for at-risk Afghan media workers.