ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International has urged Pakistan to stop the detention and deportation of Afghan refugees, warning that mass expulsions could expose many to serious human rights violations, according to an open letter the group’s South Asia office posted on X on Friday.
The letter, dated Jan. 1, was addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and comes as Pakistan presses ahead with a multi-phase campaign to repatriate undocumented foreign nationals, most of whom are Afghans who fled decades of war and persecution.
“Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani authorities to halt the deportation of Afghan refugees and ensure that individuals with international protection needs are safeguarded as per international human rights law,” the organization said, warning that the policy violated the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to countries where they risk serious abuse.
Amnesty said Pakistan had provided sanctuary to Afghan nationals for decades, but its policy has shifted sharply since the launch of the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” in September 2023, describing it as potentially “one of the largest forcible returns of refugees in modern history,” which it said was marked by a lack of transparency, due process and accountability.
