Afghan refugees said that Tajikistan police have recently deported dozens of Afghan refugees who were arrested for violating the law and due process may not have been followed.
They said that some of the refugees had legal documents but they were still deported.
TOLOnews reached out to a woman who had left Afghanistan for Tajikistan four years ago but was recently sent back to Afghanistan.
“I had a bad day yesterday. The Tajiks arrested my husband downstairs. Some said, the security forces took him in custody. Then I found out that they sent my husband to the border along Kunduz province, without any inquiry,” she told TOLOnews.
A video sent to TOLOnews shows that around 30 Afghan refugees being deported by force by the Tajikistani government.
“The situation of the Afghan refugees has recently deteriorated. We are frightened. Please reach out to the Afghans. The situation is very critical,” said an Afghan refugee in Tajikistan.
The Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that the treatment of Afghan refugees by Tajikistan is against international law.
“The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation is trying to address the problems of the Afghan refugees through negotiations. This action of Tajikistan is in contrast with the international law,” said Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, a spokesman for the ministry.
The analysts said that there are certain rights which are allotted for refugees in international conventions.
“There are some rights for refugees including the rights of self-freedom for the refugees and security for the refugees who have migrated from their country,” said Abdul Wahid Haqiqat, a political analyst.
“They have the right to be refugees and not to be deported as long as they have a proper life and don’t disturb the security, and national interest of a country,” said Mohammad Ghorbandi, a political analyst.
No Tajikistani official has so far commented in this regard.
Comment this post