UN Experts Urge Pakistan to Halt Forced Returns of Vulnerable Afghan Refugees
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United Nations human rights experts have called on Pakistan to suspend the forced return of Afghan nationals who may face risks of persecution, torture, or other serious human rights violations after deportation to Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
The experts urged Pakistani authorities to establish transparent procedures for individual assessments of each person\u2019s protection needs before any removal decision is made. They expressed particular concern about vulnerable groups, including women, children, students, and unaccompanied minors.<\/p>\n
The warnings are linked to Pakistan\u2019s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, launched in 2023, under which Afghan nationals without valid documentation have faced deportation measures. UN bodies have raised concerns that some returns may take place without adequate evaluation of individual circumstances and possible risks upon arrival in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
UN officials have emphasized the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to places where they face a real risk of persecution, torture, or serious harm. The UN Committee against Torture has also expressed concern over the deportation of Afghan nationals, including children, without sufficient assessment of protection risks.<\/p>\n
Pakistan has stated that deportations are carried out against individuals lacking legal status and that the country remains mindful of humanitarian considerations, including the situation of women, children, and elderly people.<\/p>\n
The issue continues to draw international attention as Afghanistan faces a severe humanitarian and economic crisis, with UN agencies calling for returns to be safe, voluntary, dignified, and consistent with international obligations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UN Experts Urge Pakistan to Halt Forced Returns of Vulnerable Afghan Refugees ————————————————– United Nations human rights experts have called on Pakistan to suspend the forced return of Afghan nationals who may face risks of persecution, torture, or other serious human rights violations after deportation to Afghanistan. The experts urged Pakistani authorities to establish transparent …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":145608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-145609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"yoast_head":"\n