Trump plans to deport dozens of Afghans back to the Taliban in first large-scale removal flight

Trump plans to deport dozens of Afghans back to the Taliban in first large-scale removal flight Afghans face ‘grave’ consequences in Taliban-controlled home country under first large-scale removal scheme, aid groups say - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Donald Trump’s administration is imminently expected to forcibly remove dozens of Afghans from the U.S. to Afghanistan, marking the first large-scale deportation flight of Afghans back into the hands of the Taliban, aid groups and human rights lawyers warn. Roughly 150 Afghans are reportedly scheduled for the removal flight, which is being routed from Louisiana to Pakistan, where officials are expected to expel them to their home country. Afghans on the flight include family members of U.S. allies who worked alongside military forces and aid groups, among others who could face discrimination and violence upon their return — including at least one LGBTQ+ person. By sending the flight to Pakistan, the Trump administration has found a legally dubious workaround to send vulnerable immigrants to the country they fled, according to attorneys and refugee aid groups. “By creating arrangements with countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, and now Pakistan, the Trump administration is effectuating removals to active war zones and severe security crises where individuals may be at grave risk,” according to former U.S. diplomat Uzra Zeya, president of Human Rights First. The administration also is reportedly preparing another deportation flight forcing Iranian immigrants back to Iran, marking the first such removal flight since the onset of the U.S. war in February. “The administration’s cruel mass deportation agenda has swept up family members of Afghan allies and Iranian political dissidents” who face “grave” consequences in their home countries, Zeya said. In Afghanistan, returning dissidents are at risk of imprisonment, corporal punishment or execution, according to Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, which helps resettle refugees including wartime allies. “The Taliban is a regime that jails, tortures and kills the people it considers its enemies,” VanDiver said Friday. “It has hunted down former soldiers, police officers, and the families of anyone who worked with the United States. It has erased women and girls from public life. Sending someone there is not a deportation. It is a sentence,” he said. “Whatever path brought them here, the danger waiting for them is the same.” The Trump administration has not publicly announced plans for the removal flight; unnamed officials speaking to media outlets, court filings, and statements from lawyers and advocacy organizations who fear for their imprisoned clients have outlined tentative plans to send Afghans out of the country. Court filings in the case of one Afghan detainee indicate that a flight is expected to leave Louisiana within the first week of November. In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for Homeland Security said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement “does not comment on prospective removal operations, including flight schedules, passenger manifests, destinations, or individual case details.” “For operational security reasons and the safety of our officers, we would not confirm future removal operations,” the person said. The Independent has also requested comment the State Department. Last year, the Trump administration pointed to an increase in tourism under Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to justify the cancellation of humanitarian protections for more than 11,000 Afghans in the U.S. The administration announced plans to strip Temporary Protected Status from Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, which led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in the wake of the devastating years-long war. “We’ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation,” then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement at the time. “Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent [sic] them from returning to their home country.” Homeland Security’s notice claims there have been “notable improvements” in Afghanistan’s national security and “requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.” The notice also claims that “the Taliban government is promoting tourism to shift its global image.” “Tourism to Afghanistan has increased, as the rates of kidnappings have reduced,” the notice added. “Tourists are sharing their experiences on social media, highlighting the peaceful countryside, welcoming locals, and the cultural heritage, according to some reports.” Pakistan, meanwhile, has launched its own mass deportation effort targeting Afghan refugees. More than 2.7 million Afghans have been expelled from the country since 2023. The relationship between the two countries has continued to deteriorate following the withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign forces in 2021. Deadly border clashes and escalating attacks have resulted in closure crossings and growing fears of civilian casualties, while Islamabad has urged Kabul to dismantle militant groups including Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan accused of serving as proxies to launch attacks from inside the country. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments