Taliban voices concern over US preparations to deport Afghan nationals

The Taliban government has expressed serious concern over reports that the United States is preparing to send Afghan nationals back to Afghanistan via Pakistan. Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi voiced this concern in a statement issued on Monday.

According to US media outlets and migrant rights groups, there are plans to send back more than 150 Afghans currently in the United States. The list is said to include relatives of people who had helped US forces before the 2021 withdrawal.

Rights activists have warned that forcibly returning former helpers and their families could put their safety at risk. Tensions between the two neighboring countries have been rising since Pakistan ordered the arrest of Afghans without visas.