UN calls on Tajikistan not to expel Afghans

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has called the deportation of Afghan refugees from Tajikistan a violation of international law.

Photo: Internet

On August 25, in its statement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed serious concern about the situation of Afghan refugees in Tajikistan, many of whom are facing detention and deportation. The UNHCR reminded that the forced return of people fleeing persecution contradicts the country’s obligations under international law.

The agency reported that recently five Afghans, including a mother with three children, were deported from Tajikistan. Despite UNHCR’s intervention, they were forcibly returned to Afghanistan on Tuesday, August 23, through the Panjiyon border checkpoint in northeastern Tajikistan.

“Tajikistan must stop detaining and deporting refugees – actions that clearly endanger lives. The forced return of refugees contradicts the law and the principle of non-refoulement, which is a cornerstone of international refugee law,” said UNHCR representative Elizabeth Tan.

The statement noted that since 2021, the UNHCR has recorded numerous cases of refugee detention in Tajikistan, their expulsion from the country, and the issuance of entry bans for those in need of international protection.

According to the General Recommendations on Afghanistan issued by the UNHCR in August 2021, all countries must prohibit the forced return of all Afghan nationals. This guidance was updated in February 2022 and emphasized the importance of the ban on the deportation of Afghan refugees.

In its statement, the UNHCR emphasized that Afghans must have access to protection and a fair and effective asylum process in Tajikistan. Their forced return to their homeland constitutes a serious violation of international law, the statement said.

Earlier, Radio Ozodi reported that at least nine Afghan citizens had been deported from Tajikistan in recent days. It was reported that some of the deported Afghans had asylum seeker certificates issued by the UNHCR.

Other refugees are concerned about these reports. The authorities have not commented on the deportation of Afghans.

After the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of Afghan citizens fled the country. Tajikistan has accepted about 10,000 Afghan refugees. However, due to poor conditions in Tajikistan, more than 4,000 refugees have left the country for other nations.