Over the past month, nearly 1,000 Afghan refugees have been forcibly deported from Tajikistan, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Between July 17 and August 10, a total of 1,647 people crossed from Tajikistan into Afghanistan via the Panji Poyon–Sher Khan Bandar checkpoint: 976 were deported, while 671 returned voluntarily to visit relatives. During the same period, 687 Afghan citizens entered Tajikistan for work, family visits, or onward travel, Asiaplus.tj reports.
Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda confirmed the deportations on August 7, saying they were linked to violations of the law. He stressed that even those with legal residency can be expelled if they break the rules. The country’s Border Troops have previously cited reasons such as drug trafficking, extremist propaganda, forged refugee documents, migration law violations, holding third-country citizenship, and using Tajikistan as a transit point.
In July, the Khaama Press news agency reported that Afghan refugees had been given 15 days to leave the country — a move that raised concerns among many, including those with valid papers. Arrests of migrants have increased in Vahdat and Rudaki districts, with many deported without prior notice or the right to appeal.
In December 2024, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) urged Tajikistan to halt deportations to Afghanistan, where returnees face serious risks, and to transfer them to third countries instead. Unofficial estimates suggest there are over 10,000 Afghans in Tajikistan, mostly in Dushanbe, Vahdat, and Rudaki. How many remain after the recent mass expulsions is unknown.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 14, 2025