Women’s Rights activists urge UN to halt forced deportation of Afghan refugees

A group of Afghan women’s rights activists urged the UN to stop mass deportations, warning returning women face severe rights violations.

A group of Afghan women’s rights activists has written a letter to Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressing grave concern over the mass deportation of Afghan migrants, particularly from neighboring countries like Iran.

The letter, sent on Saturday, July 13, describes the expulsions as a “blatant violation of international human rights law and refugee protection principles.” The activists emphasized that the forced return of Afghan refugees, especially women, equates to a “silent death sentence.”

According to the letter, the Taliban’s systematic restrictions—banning women from education, removing them from public life, and using punishments such as flogging and torture—are clear indicators of gender apartheid. Sending women back into this regime, they wrote, is inhumane and unacceptable.

The activists pleaded with the UN to intervene and halt these forced deportations, warning that the international community must not remain silent while vulnerable groups are subjected to state-backed persecution and fear.

In support of their claims, the letter cited statements from Arafat Jamal, the UNHCR representative in Afghanistan, who recently revealed that deportations from Iran have reached alarming levels—up to 50,000 people per day.

The activists’ appeal adds to growing international pressure on regional governments and global institutions to uphold refugee protection standards. They have urged the UN to investigate the treatment of returnees and push for regional agreements that ensure the rights and safety of deported Afghans.

As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan deepens, especially for women under Taliban rule, the need for coordinated international action becomes more urgent. Without intervention, millions risk being forced back into a system that denies them basic dignity, safety, and freedom.

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