Taliban Concerned by Reports of US Plans to Deport Afghans via Pakistan
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities expressed concern on Monday over reports that the United States plans to deport large numbers of Afghan migrants to Pakistan before returning them to their home country.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan expresses its deep concern over reports that the United States intends to deport some Afghan refugees who have not yet been able to obtain legal residency documents to Pakistan,” Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement cited by Agence France-Presse.
Court documents previously obtained by the Associated Press revealed plans by President Donald Trump’s administration to deport Afghan migrants detained in the United States to Afghanistan via Pakistan. Human rights advocates have warned that the deportations could endanger their lives.
Migrant rights organisations fear that those deported could face Taliban retaliation. Thousands of Afghans fled persecution, fearing for their lives after assisting the US military and aid organisations in Afghanistan.
“This is absolutely unforgivable, and there appears to be no limit to this administration’s willingness to break the law and violate human rights,” said Shawn VanDiver, a US Navy veteran and president of AfghanEvac, an organisation advocating for Afghans’ rights.
