Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – In a sweeping and controversial move, tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who have sought refuge in Pakistan’s capital region are being forced to relocate to other parts of the country by March 31 or face deportation to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The Pakistani government’s ultimatum, issued last week, has plunged an already vulnerable population into deeper fear and uncertainty, with many refugees accusing the international community, particularly the United States, of abandoning them in their hour of need.
The refugees, who have gathered in large numbers in Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi, are drawn to the region by the presence of foreign embassies and international refugee agencies that could facilitate their resettlement in Western nations. However, Pakistan’s decision to disperse these populations is widely seen as an attempt to pressure Western countries, including the U.S., to accelerate their resettlement processes. For the refugees, many of whom worked alongside U.S.-led forces, Western-funded NGOs, or other organizations during the two-decade-long conflict in Afghanistan, the announcement is a devastating blow.
Among the most affected are the 15,000 Afghans who have applied for resettlement in the U.S., whose hopes were further crushed by President Donald Trump’s recent executive order suspending all refugee admissions to the country. “We risked our lives for the U.S. and its allies, and now they are turning their backs on us,” said a former interpreter for U.S. forces, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “If we are sent back to Afghanistan, the Taliban will kill us. If we stay here, we face deportation. We have no future.”
The Pakistani government’s directive warns that refugees who cannot secure resettlement in a third country by the March 31 deadline will be deported to Afghanistan, though it remains unclear how quickly such deportations would occur. For many, a return to Taliban rule is tantamount to a death sentence. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have issued a joint statement expressing grave concerns, particularly for ethnic and religious minorities, women and girls, journalists, human rights activists, and artists, who are at high risk of persecution under the Taliban regime.
Refugee advocates have condemned the U.S. and other Western nations for what they describe as a betrayal of wartime allies. “These individuals stood by the international community during one of the most challenging conflicts in modern history,” said a spokesperson for a refugee rights organization. “Abandoning them now is not only a moral failure but a stain on the legacy of the international mission in Afghanistan.”
The situation on the ground is dire. Many refugees live in squalid makeshift camps with limited access to food, clean water, and medical care. The looming deadline has left families desperate, with some considering perilous journeys to other countries in search of safety. “We have nowhere to go,” said one refugee, a mother of four whose husband worked with a Western-funded NGO. “Our children are sick, and we have no money. If we are sent back, we will die.”
As the March 31 deadline approaches, the international community faces mounting pressure to intervene. The UNHCR and IOM have urged Pakistan to ensure that any relocation measures adhere to human rights standards and called on Western nations to expedite resettlement processes. For the refugees, however, time is running out, and the world’s inaction could have deadly consequences. “We are not just numbers,” said the former interpreter. “We are human beings with families, dreams, and hopes. Please don’t forget us.”
