Taliban Claims 42 Afghan Migrants Freed from Pakistani Prisons

The Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations has announced the release and repatriation of 42 Afghan migrants previously imprisoned in Pakistan, according to Khaama Press.

In a statement issued on February 8, the ministry revealed that these migrants, including women and children, had been detained at Pakistan’s “Haji Camp” prison for two to five months. The statement further mentioned that these Afghan nationals were arrested in Islamabad due to a lack of legal documentation.

Pakistan’s ongoing detention and deportation of Afghan migrants have drawn international criticism from organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations, which have urged Islamabad to halt these actions.

According to the UN, by December 31 last year, Pakistani security forces had detained and imprisoned approximately 31,000 Afghan migrants. Over the past year, more than 4,268 Afghan migrants, including women and children, have been freed from prisons in Sindh province and sent back to Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.

The forced deportations from Pakistan and Iran have exacerbated Afghanistan’s already severe humanitarian crisis, leaving many vulnerable to extreme winter conditions, poverty, and a lack of essential services. Refugees returning to Afghanistan face dire circumstances, as the country struggles with economic collapse and ongoing instability.

Human rights organizations have strongly condemned these expulsions, urging Pakistan and Iran to adopt a more humane approach in managing the refugee crisis. The situation remains critical, as deported Afghans are forced to return to a nation grappling with severe socio-economic challenges.

On February 6, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) raised concerns over Pakistan’s mass deportation plan, seeking clarification regarding the expulsion process.

In a joint statement, the UNHCR and IOM emphasized the rising number of arrests of Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi since January 2025, noting that even some individuals with valid residence permits had been detained.

This statement followed Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement of a multi-phase plan for the deportation of Afghan migrants. The plan includes both documented and undocumented migrants, as well as those awaiting resettlement in the US or European countries.