An international persecution monitoring group has warned that the large-scale deportation of Afghans from Pakistan may be placing Christian converts at serious risk if they are returned to Afghanistan.
Open Doors, a Christian advocacy organisation, says that around one million Afghans were deported from Pakistan last year. Many of those affected were reported to be undocumented migrants or refugees, including families and children.
The deportations were carried out as part of immigration enforcement measures and security concerns, with authorities in Pakistan also citing fears of links between some migrants and militant groups. Iran has also undertaken similar deportations for comparable reasons.
However, Open Doors has raised concern that among those returned could be Afghan Christians, who may face severe persecution under Taliban rule.
Under Afghanistan’s current legal and social system, conversion from Islam is regarded as a serious offence, with some reports indicating it can carry the death penalty. The organisation also warns that women and girls, particularly those without male relatives, are at heightened risk of abuse, forced marriage, and exploitation.
A local partner working with Open Doors said those most vulnerable include young people, single women, widows, and orphans. He said the risks range from forced marriage to violence and torture.
The partner also claimed that some Christians had already been deported and that contact with them has since been lost.
Open Doors further noted that conditions for Christians in Pakistan are also difficult. According to its World Watch List, Pakistan ranks among the countries with the highest levels of persecution of Christians, placed higher than Afghanistan in its global assessment.
The organisation reports that Christian and other minority communities in Pakistan can face discrimination, including abductions, forced conversions, and violence. In some cases, blasphemy laws have also been linked to mob attacks and intimidation against religious minorities.
Human rights advocates continue to call for greater protection for vulnerable groups affected by deportations and for stronger safeguards for religious minorities across the region.
Adapted and rewritten from Christian Today UK.
