Pakistan Deports U.S.-Allied Afghan Refugees to Afghanistan, Says Washington Post

Pakistan has deported several Afghan refugees who worked with U.S. forces or awaited resettlement, sending them back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, the Washington Post reported.

Pakistani authorities have deported several Afghan refugees who previously worked alongside U.S. military forces or were awaiting resettlement in the United States, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing interviews with multiple deportees.

The newspaper said at least seven Afghan nationals who served as U.S. contractors or local partners were among those expelled to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in recent weeks. They are part of a wider group of about one million Afghans facing deportation under Pakistan’s ongoing crackdown on undocumented migrants.

The deported Afghans told the Post that they now live in hiding, fearing retribution from Taliban security forces. “We can’t go out; the Taliban know who we are,” one former U.S. base worker was quoted as saying. Several others said they were beaten and interrogated by Pakistani police before being forced across the border.

A senior official in Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that some Afghans linked to U.S. forces were among those repatriated, but declined to comment on the number. The official described the deportations as part of “routine enforcement against illegal residents,” rejecting claims that Islamabad was targeting U.S.-affiliated refugees.

The Washington Post noted that since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the U.S. refugee resettlement program for Afghans has slowed significantly. The administration has said only applicants eligible for a Special Humanitarian Visa (SIV) will be considered for entry into the United States.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned Pakistan’s mass expulsions, warning that deported Afghans face grave risks under Taliban rule. The United Nations has reported multiple instances of returnees being detained, tortured, or even killed after being sent back.

Pakistan began a sweeping campaign last year to expel undocumented migrants, most of them Afghans, citing security concerns and economic pressure. More than 600,000 people have reportedly crossed back into Afghanistan since the crackdown began, according to UN estimates.

Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, roughly 200,000 Afghans have been resettled in the United States. But thousands more remain stranded in Pakistan, caught between stalled U.S. visa processes and the threat of deportation to a country where they fear for their lives.

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