Increasing Pressure on Afghan Refugees in Tajikistan

DIDPress: Amidst the intensified forced return of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan, local sources report a worrying rise in the detention and deportation of Afghan refugees in Tajikistan as well.

According to information received from multiple sources among Afghan refugees residing in Tajikistan, this deportation process, which began in December 2024, has escalated significantly in recent weeks and now includes even teenagers under 18 and individuals holding legal residence permits.

One refugee living in the Vahdat settlement on the outskirts of Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, stated that “men in refugee families do not leave their homes for fear of arrest, and the burden of life has fallen on the women. This situation has caused severe anxiety among the migrants.”

According to these sources, educational centers run by Afghan refugees in both Dushanbe and the Vahdat settlement have also been shut down.

There are also reports of police in Tajikistan demanding bribes in exchange for the release of detainees. In some cases, even individuals with legal residence cards have been arrested and released only after paying substantial sums.

Meanwhile, many Afghan refugees residing in Tajikistan are awaiting transfer to third countries, including Canada and European nations.

According to UNHCR statistics, in just the first four months of this year alone, over 435,000 Afghan refugees have returned from Iran, and more than 196,000 from Pakistan. The total number of refugees returned from Pakistan in the past 21 months is reported to be nearly one million.