The head of the Afghan Refugee Committee in Dushanbe, Musavvir Bahaduri, has denied recent claims about the forced deportation of Afghan nationals from Tajikistan.
Speaking to Asia-Plus, Bahaduri said the reports are unfounded and emphasized that no refugees have filed complaints with the committee regarding forced expulsion.
“No one has come to our committee with complaints of deportation,” Bahaduri stated, refuting allegations that Tajik authorities are pressuring Afghan refugees.
The news that sparked concern was published on July 9 by The Khaama Press News Agency, which claimed that Tajik authorities gave Afghan asylum seekers 15 days to leave the country. The report said the decision had caused serious concern among thousands of Afghan migrants, including those with valid residency documents.
According to The Khaama Press, over the past week, Tajik authorities have allegedly stepped up arrests of Afghan refugees, particularly in Vahdat township — home to a large Afghan migrant population — as well as in Dushanbe and the Roudaki district.
When contacted by Asia-Plus, the Afghan Embassy in Dushanbe stated that it had no information regarding actions taken by Tajik authorities against refugees.
Attempts to obtain an official response from Tajik government agencies were unsuccessful.
This is not the first time such reports have surfaced. Earlier this year, Afghan media also reported on alleged forced deportations of asylum seekers from Tajikistan — claims that were neither confirmed nor denied by local authorities at the time.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has previously urged Tajikistan to refrain from deporting Afghan migrants back to their home country, warning that returnees could face serious threats to their safety. The agency has encouraged relocation to third countries as a safer alternative.
Although no official count has been publicly released, unofficial estimates suggest that over 10,000 Afghan refugees currently reside in Tajikistan. The majority are settled in Dushanbe, Vahdat, and the Roudaki district.
