ISLAMABAD: The UN refugee agency on Thursday urged Pakistan to allow Afghans with special protection needs to remain in the country, warning that their forced return to Afghanistan could expose them to harm.

The deportations follow a nationwide crackdown launched by Islamabad in 2023 targeting foreigners living illegally in Pakistan. Most of these foreigners were Afghans who had fled to Pakistan over the past four decades to escape war, political unrest and economic hardship.

Pakistan, which has been facing a surge in militancy in recent years, said at the time that many Afghan nationals had been involved in attacks and other offenses. Human rights groups criticized the policy as collective punishment, warning it would uproot families with no safety net across the border.

Significant protection needs for Afghans persist inside Pakistan, especially for individuals at heightened risk due to their profiles, past affiliations, or vulnerabilities, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“Many require legal assistance, documentation, and community-based protection services to ensure their safety and dignity,” the UN agency said. 

“UNHCR urges the Government of Pakistan to ensure that Afghans with specific protection needs are exempted from the provisions of the Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan (IFRP) and allowed to remain safely in the country. Doing so would uphold Pakistan’s long-standing tradition of hospitality and protection, which has safeguarded millions over decades.”

Nearly one million Afghans have returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan so far this year, according to the UN agency. As winter sets in and temperatures fall across the region, thousands more Afghans, including refugees and asylum-seekers, continue to return to Afghanistan under mounting pressure, despite the country’s grave humanitarian situation. 

“In the right circumstances, this would be something to celebrate,” Philippa Candler, a UNHCR representative in Pakistan, said in a statement. “But under the current conditions, it raises more concerns than solutions.”

In Afghanistan, nine in ten people live in poverty, and the combined impact of economic crisis, unemployment and weakened public services is leaving families exposed. Over 2.2 million people have returned from Pakistan and Iran in 2025 with little to rebuild their lives, while recent earthquakes have deepened their hardship. 

With the governments’ support declining, the UNHCR said it is calling on individual and private donors to help deliver life-saving assistance in Afghanistan and other hard-hit regions to help vulnerable families stay warm, safe and supported through the harsh months. 

“However, with winter intensifying and humanitarian resources severely strained, the gap between needs and available support is widening rapidly,” it said.

“Without sustained and expanded assistance, the sustainability of returns from both Iran and Pakistan remains in question. If returnees cannot reintegrate effectively, onward movement becomes inevitable.”