Taliban govt voices concern over US plans for deportation

KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities voiced concern on Monday over reported plans by Washington to deport scores of Afghan immigrants to Pakistan with the aim of their eventual return to their home country.

More than 150 Afghans in the United States would be deported via Pakistan to Afghanistan, including relatives of those who assisted US forces before their 2021 withdrawal, according to US media reports and an advocacy group.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan expresses its serious concern over reports that the United States intends to deport some Afghan refugees to Pakistan who have not yet been able to obtain legal residency documents in that country,” foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement.

Advocacy groups have warned that the removal of former allies and their families could endanger their lives. After regaining power, Taliban authorities announced a general amnesty for Afghans who worked with Western-backed forces and governments and have repeated promises this year that their former foes could safely return home. However, the United Nations has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions and abuses.

President Donald Trump’s administration last year issued travel bans for a number of countries, including Afghanistan, as part of a broad immigration crackdown. His administration sought to end deportation protections for Afghans, some of whom were granted special immigrant visas following the 2021 takeover by Taliban authorities.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2026