AFGHAN refugees who fled their country after the Taliban took over in 2021, and who hoped to resettle in the West, face an unenviable challenge. Even those Afghans who had been approved for entry into the US now face great uncertainty as President Donald Trump’s administration has temporarily suspended America’s resettlement programme. The noises emerging from the White House indicate that there are slim chances this programme will be revived and that Afghans and others will not be able to board a plane for the US. These decisions have a direct effect on Pakistan, which has been hosting Afghan refugees for the last five decades, with the latest influx coming after the Taliban took Kabul. In this regard, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar told a foreign media outlet recently that the Afghans denied resettlement by the US will be considered illegal immigrants and sent back to their country of origin. While Mr Dar said Pakistan is open to dialogue with the US over the matter, the state has set a March 31 deadline for Afghans to leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi, where many of the refugees are living temporarily.

The fact is that sending back refugees who worked for the former West-backed Afghan administration, or those who helped foreign military forces, is akin to a death sentence. The Afghan Taliban consider these individuals ‘traitors’ and would hardly treat them with compassion. Pakistan, on its part, faces a genuine resource crunch and cannot support an increased number of refugees. Therefore, it is morally incumbent upon the US and other members of the Western coalition that occupied Afghanistan to take in these refugees, particularly those who have already been vetted and cleared. The state here must communicate to Western capitals, particularly Washington, the need to resettle Afghan refugees without delay. In the meantime, Pakistan should treat Afghan refugees in a humane manner, and these individuals should not be forcibly repatriated.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2025