ISLAMABAD — 

Afghanistan’s Taliban Thursday called on neighbors Pakistan and Iran to be patient with Afghan refugees and follow an organized process for their return, considering Afghanistan’s economic challenges.

Pakistan and Iran have sent back more than 2.7 million Afghans to their home country since the 20-year U.S.-led war in Afghanistan ended in August 2021.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban acting minister of refugees and repatriation affairs, separately met with Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, Pakistan’s charge d'affaires in Afghanistan, and Iran's ambassador to Afghanistan, Alireza Bekdali, in Kabul.

In a post on social media platform X, the Afghan ministry said Kabir expressed hope that the “host countries will exercise patience and forbearance toward refugees.”

“Islamic Emirate encourages Afghan refugees to return to the country,” said the statement. “But due to lack of conditions at home, host countries should consider organized return process instead of forced deportation, and act according to a gradual mechanism.”

Afghan expulsion

Since Pakistan launched a drive in late 2023 to remove foreign nationals residing illegally in the country, citing security concerns, more than 825,000 Afghans have left, according to data compiled by the U.N. High Commission for Refugees. However, only a small fraction — roughly 40,000 — have been deported.

Pakistan approved a multistage plan in late January targeting nearly 3 million Afghan citizens. It includes legally declared refugees, documented as well as undocumented migrants, and those awaiting relocation to the United States and other Western countries.

That plan calls for repatriating documented Afghan migrants and undocumented Afghan citizens in Phase 1. It also calls for the removal of Afghans awaiting third-country relocation from Islamabad by March 31.

UN sounds alarm over Pakistan's new Afghan deportation plans

Last July, Pakistan extended the validity of Proof of Registration, or POR, cards for Afghan refugees until June 30, 2025. The government’s January plan to expel Afghans says POR card holders will be dealt with later.

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Driven largely by economic concerns, Iran deported more than 1.8 million Afghans between 2022 and 2024, according to aid website Relief Web that takes data from UNHCR. Last September, Tehran announced it plans to deport up to 2 million by March 2025.

Time needed

Kabir called on Iran and Pakistan to slow the pace of returns until bilateral mechanisms are put in place.

“Time should be given to hold bilateral and trilateral meetings in this regard,” the statement said.

Nizamani, Pakistan’s top diplomat in Afghanistan, said refugees are not a political tool, according to the Afghan ministry’s post.

“He said that Pakistan’s future is linked to Afghanistan, therefore, it does not use Afghan refugees as political tools, but wants the problems to be resolved through understanding,” the refugee ministry said on X.

A request to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, seeking confirmation of Nizamani’s remarks, was not returned.

Iranian ambassador Bekdali called for a permanent solution to the issue, the Taliban ministry said.

“We want to see the illegal migrants living in Iran, refugees, provided with the necessary legal documents,” the statement quoted Bekadli as saying. There was no immediate confirmation from Bekdali’s office regarding his remarks.

Refugee rights groups and human rights watchdogs have repeatedly called on Iran and Pakistan to ensure that the rights of Afghan refugees and undocumented migrants are protected, and they are not forced to return to Afghanistan, where the economy is in shambles, the majority relies on aid, and women face severe curbs on basic rights and liberties.