Afghan refugees like Lina are being deported back to face the Taliban. Can Australia help?

Afghan refugee Lina Amani faces imminent deportation back to a country ruled by the Taliban, where she risks persecution for her activism. A 25-year-old women’s rights advocate, Amani has lived in exile in Pakistan for five years, unable to return to Afghanistan due to fear of retaliation. She fled after the Taliban seized control of the country in August 2021, imposing harsh restrictions on women’s rights and freedoms. Amani continued her advocacy for Afghan women’s rights in Pakistan, despite the dangers. Now, she is confronting a new threat: forced repatriation. Pakistan has intensified its efforts to deport undocumented Afghans, citing national security concerns. Over the past several years, more than two million Afghans without valid passports or visas have been forcibly returned. Similar measures have been taken in Iran, where over one million Afghans have been expelled. In Pakistan, local authorities conduct searches in residential areas and markets for undocumented Afghans, raising fears among exiles like Amani that they could be handed over to the Taliban. “We are not only worried about losing the place where we are staying,” Amani says. “We are worried about losing our safety, our future and even our lives.” Human rights organizations warn that deported Afghans are returning to a country in deepening crisis. According to Save the Children, nearly half the population requires urgent aid, and acute malnutrition is worsening in two-thirds of provinces. Almost one in 10 children under five suffer from wasting. The United Nations has described Afghanistan as “a graveyard for human rights,” highlighting the Taliban’s severe restrictions on women, activists, minorities, journalists, and others linked to former international forces. Amnesty International’s Australia campaigner Zaki Haidari told SBS News that there are reports of individuals deported to Afghanistan being killed or detained and disappearing. He added that the Taliban has imposed laws aimed at erasing women from society, banning them from secondary and higher education, beauty salons, and public spaces. The situation extends beyond women. Ahmad Hameed, a former interpreter for the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province, is also at risk. He worked with Australian forces from 2011 to 2012, exposing himself to danger. After the Taliban takeover, he applied for Australia’s now-defunct Afghan Locally Engaged Employee Program, which provided a pathway to resettlement and protection for Afghans at risk of harm. His application was denied, leaving him vulnerable to potential reprisals. Australia has long been a destination for Afghan asylum seekers, particularly those connected to former government or military personnel. However, recent changes in immigration policy have made it harder for such individuals to secure permanent residency. The Afghan Locally Engaged Employee Program, which allowed eligible applicants to apply for permanent residency, was discontinued in 2023. This has left thousands of Afghans, including interpreters and other support staff, stranded in limbo, unsure whether they can remain in the country safely. The broader implications of these deportations extend beyond individual cases. They raise questions about Australia’s role in protecting those who aided its military operations during the war in Afghanistan. Many Afghans who worked with foreign forces, particularly the US and Australia, are still at risk of violence or death should they be returned to Afghanistan. Human rights advocates argue that Australia has a legal and ethical obligation to ensure the safety of these individuals, especially given the ongoing instability in the region. As the situation unfolds, the focus remains on the immediate threats facing individuals like Amani and Hameed. With processing delays continuing and the risk of deportation mounting, the stakes for these refugees have never been higher. Their stories underscore the complex interplay of politics, law, and humanitarian concern in the aftermath of conflict. Whether Australia can provide meaningful assistance remains uncertain, but the urgency of their plight is clear.