Lantern Movement for the Freedom of Afghan Women: Forced Deportation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan “Contrary to Humanitarian Principles”

Lantern Movement for the Freedom of Afghan Women: Forced Deportation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan “Contrary to Humanitarian Principles”
Report:
Kabul — The Lantern Movement for the Freedom of Afghan Women has issued a statement strongly reacting to the Pakistani government’s decision to set a deadline and accelerate the forced deportation of Afghan refugees, describing the move as alarming and incompatible with humanitarian and human rights principles.
In the statement released on Sunday, April 19, 2026 (30 Farvardin 1405), the movement warned that “this decision has placed thousands of Afghan families—especially women, human rights activists, and journalists—at serious risk and is driving them toward an uncertain and unsafe future.”
Highlighting the absence of any real guarantees for safe, voluntary, and dignified return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule, the group cautioned that forced returns could have devastating and irreversible consequences. Many refugees fled due to security threats, systematic repression, and severe restrictions, and sending them back would directly endanger their lives.
The Lantern Movement urged the Pakistani government to immediately stop the forced deportation process, review the set deadline, and cooperate with international organizations such as UNHCR to find humane and sustainable solutions for the refugees. It emphasized that the treatment of refugees should not be viewed merely as a security issue, but as a genuine test of commitment to human values.
The statement also called on the international community and human rights organizations to break their silence and take urgent, concrete action to protect the lives and dignity of Afghan refugees.
The Lantern Movement for the Freedom of Afghan Women, known as one of the active voices advocating for women’s rights against Taliban restrictions, stressed that “how refugees are treated is the real test of commitment to human values; a test that will shape not only the destiny of thousands of people but also the credibility of the global conscience.”
This statement comes amid ongoing reports of increasing pressure and deportations of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.