Concern Over Planned Deportation of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) once again expresses deep concern for approximately 900,000 Afghan Citizen Card holders facing deportation from Pakistan. Vulnerable groups, including women, children, and those with disabilities, are disproportionately impacted by such deportations. Women and girls face especially heightened risks due to restrictive policies which limit their access to education, employment, and public life in Afghanistan.
Since October 2023, over 800,000 people of Afghan origin have been deported from Pakistan1 . MSF medical teams report significant distress and uncertainty among Afghan communities in Pakistan about returning to Afghanistan. Many fear for their safety and future livelihoods, while also facing limited access to essential needs, such as healthcare. These pressures worsen the vulnerabilities of an already struggling population. “We are Afghan refugees,” the caretaker of one patient told MSF. “We have no money…our community is really in need. If we go back there is nothing for us, no water, nothing, we are neglected.”
The public healthcare system in Afghanistan is already under considerable pressure and unable to meet the overwhelming health needs of the population. MSF works closely with the Afghan Ministry of Public Health to provide healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of Afghans every year. But the recent closure or suspension of activities in 202 health facilities in Afghanistan following recent US-Aid cuts will make access to healthcare even more challenging, and the large-scale return of Afghans could further strain Afghanistan’s dire humanitarian situation. MSF urges immediate consideration of the humanitarian impact of these deportation policies on vulnerable Afghan nationals. We also call on the international community to enhance support for the protection and humanitarian needs of affected Afghans, both in the region and within Afghanistan.
As a neutral, independent, and impartial medical humanitarian organization, MSF provides assistance based solely on need. MSF remains committed to delivering impartial medical assistance to vulnerable communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and neighboring countries, guided by our humanitarian principles and medical ethics.
MSF first started working in Pakistan in 1986, and today provides much-needed medical care to people in Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces. Access to healthcare remains a challenge in Pakistan, especially for people in rural communities, informal settlements and areas affected by conflict. MSF has projects providing reproductive, neonatal and paediatric care, diagnosis and treatment
Hannah Hoexter