Kabul: Afghanistan's Taliban authorities urged the United States to reconsider reported plans to deport more than 150 Afghan nationals through Pakistan, warning that decisions affecting their future should involve proper coordination and consideration of their rights.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry stated on Monday, following US media reports, that Washington was preparing to transfer Afghan immigrants to Pakistan for their eventual return to Afghanistan.
The group reportedly comprises relatives of Afghans who assisted American forces before the US military withdrawal in August 2021.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi expressed serious concern about the proposed arrangements, particularly for Afghan nationals who could not obtain legal residency documents in the United States.
He urged Washington to take a responsible approach, coordinate with relevant authorities, and consider the legal rights and circumstances of those facing deportation.
Balkhi also said the Taliban administration was ready to engage with the United States to address the matter.
Pakistan reportedly expected to facilitate returns
According to reports, Pakistan would oversee the onward removal of the Afghan nationals to Afghanistan because the United States cannot currently arrange direct deportations to the country.
However, Pakistan's government did not publicly confirm the arrangement or announce an implementation date.
AfghanEvac, an organisation assisting Afghans who worked with American forces, said some of those facing removal were relatives of former US military allies.
Advocacy groups warned that returning these individuals and their families could expose them to serious risks.
Deportation plan emerges amid strained Pakistan and Afghanistan ties
Pakistan separately pursued the repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals, earlier this year ordering law enforcement agencies to take action against Afghans without valid visas.
The policy follows several years of deportations and returns affecting large numbers of Afghan migrants.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul also deteriorated following deadly border clashes in October, which led to the near closure of the border crossings.
The proposed US deportations would therefore affect Pakistan at a time of considerable tension between the two neighbouring countries.
Germany and Türkiye also deported Afghan nationals directly to Afghanistan in recent years, despite objections from human rights organisations.
It remains unclear when the reported US deportations would begin, how the individuals would be transferred through Pakistan, or whether Washington and Islamabad finalised the arrangements.
Neither the exact number of people affected nor the conditions under which they would be returned was officially established.
