Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, has warned that the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan could expose them to serious risks of human rights violations. He urged Islamabad to uphold its international obligations toward refugees.
Mr. Bennett made these remarks at the “Asma Jahangir Conference” on the human rights situation in Pakistan, stating that Afghanistan is not safe for the return of many individuals, particularly women and girls.
He further emphasized that current policies have closed off space for living and working for a large segment of society, and that forced returns could have dangerous consequences.
Referring to bans on education and employment for women and girls, Bennett added that various groups—including journalists, human rights defenders, former government employees, and ethnic and religious minorities—face the risk of arbitrary detention and threats.
According to him, this situation has effectively made voluntary and safe return impossible.
In another part of his remarks, he said that more than two million Afghan migrants either returned or were forced to return to the country in the past year alone, with hundreds of thousands deported from Pakistan.
He added that many of these individuals left not by choice, but due to fear of arrest and security pressures.
The UN Special Rapporteur also warned about the impact of these returns on children, stating that the education of thousands has been disrupted, the risk of early marriage has increased, and some have been exposed to trafficking and exploitation.
In conclusion, Richard Bennett pointed to the multiple ongoing crises in Afghanistan—including widespread food insecurity, prolonged drought, economic collapse, and shrinking civic space—saying that these conditions further underscore the urgent need for greater attention to supporting Afghan migrants, especially women.
