US To Deport 150 Afghan Immigrants Back To Afghanistan — Report

Deportation is the forced removal of a person from a country by its government. It differs from choosing to leave because officials arrange or enforce the departure. Here, the reported plan would remove more than 150 Afghan immigrants from the United States and send them toward Afghanistan. The issue matters because some may have links to Afghans who supported US forces.

The United States cannot arrange these deportations directly to Afghanistan. Instead, Pakistan would oversee the immigrants’ expulsion to Afghanistan. A first flight could leave as soon as Monday, according to the report. Once returned, the immigrants would come under the authority of Taliban rulers.

Their future is uncertain and potentially dangerous. AfghanEvac said some are brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces. The United Nations has recorded killings, detentions, and abuses despite a Taliban-announced general amnesty. The US Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions.

More than 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to face removal in the latest US deportation push. The number comes from The New York Times, which cited three unnamed US officials. The first flight could leave as soon as Monday. This makes the plan immediate, rather than a distant proposal.

The route would involve Pakistan because the United States cannot arrange deportations directly to Afghanistan. US officials told The New York Times that Pakistan would oversee the immigrants’ expulsion to Afghanistan. The article does not give a detailed flight path or identify the departure airport.

The route places the deportees inside a wider regional dispute. Pakistan has been pushing back Afghans without visas, while relations with Afghanistan have worsened since the Taliban returned to power. The border was nearly closed after clashes, and Pakistan later described the conflict as “an open war.” These conditions could complicate the deportees’ arrival.

Relatives of former Afghan allies are included among those expected to be removed, according to AfghanEvac. These relatives may not themselves have served with the US military. Their connection is family-based: they are related to Afghans who assisted US forces before the fall of Kabul.

That connection matters because AfghanEvac says the Taliban already has reason to target some of these families. Its president, Shawn VanDiver, described some migrants as brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces. The article does not provide individual case details or explain each person’s legal status.

The possible removals therefore raise concerns beyond ordinary immigration enforcement. They could send people back to a country where their family relationships may expose them to retaliation. Taliban authorities announced a general amnesty after regaining power, but the United Nations has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions, and abuses. Taliban authorities did not immediately comment.

The most serious possible consequence is danger from Taliban authorities or others in Afghanistan. AfghanEvac says families connected to former US military partners may already have reasons to fear targeting. The group argues that the danger awaiting people returned to Afghanistan could be the same regardless of how they originally entered the United States.

The Taliban announced a general amnesty after regaining power. That announcement was meant to cover Afghans who worked with Western-backed forces and governments. However, the article also notes that the United Nations has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions, and abuses. These reports show a gap between the announced policy and conditions documented afterward.

The article does not predict what will happen to each deportee. Their individual circumstances are not described. Still, relatives of former allies could face particular risks, while all returnees would enter a country governed by the Taliban. Taliban authorities were not immediately available for comment, so their response to the planned removals is unknown.

Pakistan’s role is practical as well as political. US officials told The New York Times that the United States cannot arrange deportations directly to Afghanistan. Pakistan would therefore oversee the immigrants’ expulsion from its territory into Afghanistan. The article does not describe the full legal agreement behind that arrangement.

Pakistan has its own large-scale repatriation policy. Earlier this year, its government ordered law enforcement nationwide to arrest Afghan citizens without visas. That policy has pushed back millions of Afghans who fled their homes after the Taliban returned to power. The planned deportees could consequently face Pakistan’s visa enforcement before reaching Afghanistan.

The policy operates amid tense relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Deadly border clashes last October led to near-total border closure, and the conflict intensified again in February. Pakistan accused Afghanistan of harboring militants, while the Taliban government denied the allegation. These tensions could make the deportation route especially sensitive.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 changed the situation for Afghans who had worked with Western-backed forces or governments. The article says some were granted special immigrant visas after the takeover. It also says some Afghans received protections against deportation, meaning they could remain in the United States instead of being sent back.

These measures reflected concern about what might happen after Taliban authorities regained control. Relatives of former Afghan allies are among those now facing removal, according to AfghanEvac. The article does not explain the application process, eligibility rules, or how many people received visas or protections. It only links the measures to the post-takeover period.

The current administration sought to end deportation protections for Afghans and included Afghanistan in a set of travel bans issued last year. That policy shift put some people previously shielded from removal at renewed risk. The reported plan would affect more than 150 Afghan immigrants, including relatives of former US military partners.

Asylum and refugee status are protections for people who fear persecution in their home country because of a protected characteristic, such as political opinion or group identity. A person granted asylum is generally protected from removal to that danger. Refugee status usually applies before entry, while asylum is sought after arrival or at a port of entry. These protections are not automatic and require a legal decision.

Special immigrant visas work differently. They provide an immigration route for certain people who meet specific requirements, including some individuals connected to US government work overseas. Once admitted with lawful status, a visa holder is not simply treated like an undocumented person, though later removal can still depend on legal circumstances. The source says some Afghans received such visas after the 2021 takeover.

These protections matter because they can block or delay return to a dangerous country. The article says the administration sought to end deportation protections for Afghans, but it does not define asylum, refugee status, or visa rules. This explanation uses established immigration-law distinctions beyond the article.