The United States plans to deport more than 150 Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan by sending them through Pakistan, with a first flight possible as early as Monday, according to US officials familiar with the preparations.
Advocacy groups say the move could put lives at risk. Washington cannot arrange removals straight to Afghanistan, officials said, so Pakistan is expected to oversee the final transfer onward.
Who may be on the flights
Among those expected to be removed are relatives of Afghans who helped the US military before the fall of Kabul in August 2021, according to AfghanEvac, a group that supports former Afghan allies.
President Donald Trump’s administration has already tightened immigration rules, including travel bans that cover Afghanistan, and has sought to end deportation protections for Afghans. Some Afghans in the United States hold special immigrant visas issued after the Taliban returned to power.
AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver said America is “about to put Afghans on a plane to the Taliban,” and argued the timing coincides with the week of US midterm voting on Tuesday. He said some of those facing removal “are the brothers and sons of men who served alongside U.S. forces,” families he said the Taliban “already has every reason to target.”
“Whatever path brought them here, the danger waiting for them is the same,” VanDiver said.
Pakistan’s role on the ground
Because direct US deportations to Afghanistan are not arranged, officials said Pakistan will handle expulsion into Afghanistan. That sits alongside Islamabad’s longer repatriation policy. Earlier this year, Pakistan ordered police nationwide to arrest Afghan citizens without visas, continuing a drive that has already pushed back millions who fled after 2021.
Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been tense since the Taliban took power and worsened after deadly border clashes last October that led to a near-total border shutdown. Fighting eased after mediation, then sharpened again in February, when Pakistan declared “an open war” on its neighbour. Islamabad accuses Afghan soil of sheltering militants behind attacks in Pakistan; the Taliban government denies that charge.
Taliban authorities were not immediately available for comment. The US Department of Homeland Security did not answer questions about the planned removals.
Safety concerns after 2021
After regaining power, Taliban authorities announced a general amnesty for Afghans who had worked with Western-backed forces and governments. The United Nations, however, has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions and other abuses.
For Pakistan, the US plan means another inbound cohort of Afghan deportees via Pakistan at a moment when border security and refugee returns already dominate policy. For the people on the flights, the immediate question is what awaits them once they cross into Afghanistan.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- August 2021: Taliban authorities retake power in Afghanistan; many Afghans flee or seek protection abroad.
- October (last year): Deadly Pakistan–Afghanistan border clashes lead to a near-total border closure.
- February: Fighting intensifies again; Pakistan declares “an open war” on Afghanistan.
- Earlier this year: Pakistan orders nationwide arrests of Afghan citizens without visas under its repatriation policy.
- Friday: US officials describe plans to deport more than 150 Afghans via Pakistan.
- Monday (possible): First removal flight could leave; US midterm elections follow on Tuesday.
Aasan alfaaz mein
America 150 se zyada Afghan logon ko Afghanistan bhejna chahti hai, lekin seedha nahi — pehle Pakistan ke zariye. Pehli flight Monday ko bhi nikal sakti hai. Kuch log unke rishtedar hain jinhon ne pehle US fauj ke saath kaam kiya. Pakistan pehle se Afghans ko wapas bhej raha hai, is liye yeh naya group bhi usi silsilay ka hissa ban sakta hai.
