Pakistan Sets Deadline for Afghan Refugees as US Resettlement Path Closes, Raising Concerns
Following US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), the future of thousands of Afghan refugees sheltered in Pakistan has become uncertain. The Pakistani government has announced a three-phase repatriation plan, which, if implemented, will force a large number of Afghan nationals to return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Afghan woman Shakoofa Khalili, residing in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, was desperate to save her husband from being arrested. When her eight-year-old daughter saw the police detaining her father, she cried and pleaded for his release. Although the police eventually let him go that day, her daughter was so traumatized that she didn’t speak for two days.
Khalili’s family fled Afghanistan in 2022 to escape the Taliban. She previously worked in a child protection program funded by the United States. Now, with the US resettlement process halted, returning to Afghanistan is a death sentence for many Afghans like her.
According to a document obtained by CNN, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office has outlined a plan to relocate Afghan refugees from Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March 31, 2025. Those who do not secure permission to travel to a third country will be deported back to Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has stated, “All illegal foreigners, including Afghans, will be repatriated to their home countries.” The government’s new policy also puts those holding an Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) at risk of deportation.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have issued a joint statement warning that forced repatriation to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan could lead to severe persecution, especially for minorities, women, journalists, human rights activists, and artists.
Shawn VanDiver, head of the Afghan Evacuation Network, said that 10,000 to 15,000 Afghans in Pakistan are awaiting US visas, most of them women. However, with the suspension of the US resettlement program, they are now facing extreme uncertainty.
He stated, “Since the fall of Kabul, Afghan women have been systematically erased from public life, losing access to education, employment, and basic freedoms. The US resettlement program was their only safe pathway, and now that door has been slammed shut.”
Pakistan is home to over 3 million Afghan refugees, including more than 800,000 undocumented individuals. While Pakistan has allowed Afghan refugees to stay for decades, its policies have become increasingly strict in recent years. In November 2023, the Pakistani government launched a crackdown on Afghan refugees, forcing more than 800,000 Afghans to leave the country.
Thousands of Afghans, like Shakoofa Khalili and her family, are now hiding in Pakistan, fearing deportation. They worry that if they fall into Taliban hands, they will face harassment, torture, or even death.
“We worked as translators, contractors, human rights activists, and allies for the US mission. Now, the Taliban sees us as enemies, and we face the threat of arrest, torture, or execution,” Khalili said.
She added, “The suspension of the resettlement program has extinguished our last hope. We do not want to be at the mercy of the Taliban—we need a safe haven.”
