Agriculture Minister Condemns Forced Deportation of Afghan Refugees

KABUL (Afghan Verified) — Afghanistan's Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, Ataullah Omari, criticized neighboring countries for expelling Afghan refugees, stating that the deportations violate humanitarian principles, human rights and refugee rights.

Omari said more than 4.5 million Afghan refugees have returned since the expulsion process began. "Our brothers were forcibly expelled from their homes. They were hosted for nearly 40 years, but in the end, they were deported by force and in violation of humanitarian principles," Omari said.

The Governor of Panjshir, Mohammad Agha Hakim, announced efforts to build a township for returnees, noting that land has been allocated in a neighboring province and will be handed over next week. "Since Panjshir does not have much land, we are pursuing the issue of building a township," Hakim said.

Newly returned refugees from Iran reported being forcibly expelled without opportunity to take their belongings. Rahmatullah, a returnee from Iran, said: "It has been six months since I was forcibly expelled from Iran, and now I have nothing here for shelter. I ask the Islamic Emirate to address our problems."

Another returnee, Jawad, added: "All of them were forcibly expelled from Iran, and their entire property has remained in that country."

The returnees highlighted economic challenges and lack of shelter, calling on the Islamic Emirate to distribute residential land.

Iran and Pakistan continue to deport thousands of Afghan refugees daily, prompting domestic concerns over capacity to absorb and resettle them.