The U.S. administration is preparing to send Afghan refugees—who had fled Afghanistan and sought shelter in the United States—to Pakistan. Flights carrying these individuals could begin as early as next Monday. Human rights activists and the refugees’ relatives have expressed concern that, once in Pakistan, these individuals could subsequently be sent back to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
This information was reported by the U.S. news outlet NBC News on Friday.
The report states that there has been no official announcement regarding these proposed repatriation flights. However, family members of the detained refugees and human rights activists have indicated that the flights could take place within the next few days.
Uncertainty also surrounds the future of Afghan refugees currently housed at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, a facility under U.S. control. The U.S. government has extended the deadline for their relocation several times.
Initially, the U.S. State Department had stated that all residents of the camp would be relocated by March 31. This deadline was later extended to September 30. Subsequently, in September, the Trump administration pushed back the closure date for the camp by another nine months.
Earlier this year, the U.S. administration had also considered relocating Afghan refugees from this camp in Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—a move proposed at a time when an Ebola outbreak was reported in that country.
The new plan to send them to Pakistan has sparked fresh concerns regarding the refugees’ safety. Human rights activists and their families fear that, once in Pakistan, they could be sent back to Afghanistan.
AfghanEvac, an organization advocating for the rights of Afghan refugees, criticized the administration’s plan in a statement on Friday. The organization alleges that these flights are being organized covertly, taking advantage of the fact that public attention is currently focused on the U.S. midterm elections.
The organization stated, “The government refuses to disclose where these flights will land.” ‘Because they know what fate might await the passengers upon arrival.’
The statement further adds, ‘A government that is confident in its own actions does not keep them secret.’
News of this new plan has emerged amidst months of uncertainty regarding the future of Afghan refugees staying in camps in Qatar.
However, the U.S. government has not yet officially confirmed the destination or the timing of the proposed flights.
