The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reportedly held a meeting with a representative of Tajikistan in Geneva, urging the country to prevent the deportation of Afghan migrants to Afghanistan, where their lives are at risk.
Mosawer Bahadori, the head of the Afghan Migrants Committee in Tajikistan, shared this on his Facebook page, noting that he had met with Ivan Saleyev, head of the UN office in Tajikistan, on December 11.
Mr. Bahadori stated that while the UN representative cannot interfere in Tajikistan’s internal affairs at the legislative level, a report was submitted to the organization’s central offices in Geneva, suggesting that the matter be reviewed at a higher level.
The meeting reportedly emphasized that Tajikistan has signed international agreements prohibiting the return of refugees to countries where their lives are in danger, especially under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
As an alternative to deportation, the head of the Afghan Migrants Committee proposed options such as transferring refugees to third countries or imposing other measures like fines or imprisonment.
Mr. Bahadori stressed that Afghan migrants respect Tajikistan’s laws, traditions, and norms and are ready to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to prevent further violations.
The UN continues negotiations with Tajik authorities to halt the deportation process. Although it remains unclear whether these diplomatic efforts will succeed, Bahadori expressed hope for a reasonable solution.
The Afghan Migrants Committee has reportedly been operating in Tajikistan for over 27 years and holds an official license from the Ministry of Justice. One of the Committee's main goals is to coordinate interactions between Tajikistan government bodies and Afghan migrants.
Representatives of the UN office in Tajikistan also promised to provide Asia-Plus with more details about the meeting.
As it had been reported earlier, the UN refugee agency has called on Tajikistan to halt forcible return of Afghan refugees and uphold international protection standards and commitments.
In statement released on December 7, UNHCR expresses grave concern over the recent forcible return of Afghan refugees from Tajikistan, urging authorities to immediately halt such actions and uphold their international obligations to protect those fleeing persecution.
“Between December 3 and 5, Tajik authorities deported – without due process – at least 41 Afghan citizens, including at least 37 refugees,” reads the statement.
The statement notes that the deportation of refugees to any country where they may face serious harm constitutes a violation of the principle of non-refoulement. This principle is enshrined in Article 33 of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention – to which Tajikistan is a signatory.
