Statement by the Afghanistan Women’s Justice Movement
On the Occasion of United Nations Day – October 24, 2025
As the world marks United Nations Day—a symbol of peace, justice, and shared responsibility for human dignity—millions of displaced people, particularly Afghan migrants and refugees in neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Iran, are enduring an alarming humanitarian crisis.
Recent reports and humanitarian assessments indicate that Iran has deported more than 1.5 million Afghan migrants in 2025, while Pakistan has closed 16 refugee camps across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab, forcing the return of over 90,000 Afghan refugees. These mass deportations—accompanied by arbitrary detentions, looting of property, home demolitions, family separations, and growing pressures on homeless families—constitute a clear violation of international humanitarian principles and legal commitments under the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 1951 Refugee Convention. Such actions not only endanger lives but also heighten regional insecurity and instability.
Amid escalating border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan families—especially women, children, civil society activists, journalists, ethnic and religious minorities such as the Hazaras, and those fleeing gender-based violence or Taliban persecution— are becoming victims of unjust policies, economic exploitation, and inhumane treatment. Reports from international and human rights organizations, including FIDH and UNHCR, confirm that deported refugees face severe poverty, lack of access to basic services, and persistent threats in Afghanistan. Women and children, particularly survivors of domestic violence and forced marriages, suffer profound psychological trauma within this cycle of displacement and return. In host countries, refugees also experience police harassment, extortion, and physical abuse, turning them into pawns in political and economic rivalries that disregard human dignity.
On this symbolic day, we—the members of the Afghanistan Women’s Justice Movement —raise our collective voice against systemic injustice, discrimination, and the international community’s silence toward the Afghan migration crisis. This silence undermines the very principles on which the United Nations was founded. Therefore, we call for immediate, coordinated, and effective actions from the United Nations, international institutions, and host governments:
Our Key Demands:
- Immediate Halt to Forced Deportations
Host countries, particularly Pakistan and Iran, must immediately cease all forced deportations. In collaboration with UNHCR and relevant bodies, they should ensure voluntary, safe, and dignified returns, while refraining from returning refugees to unsafe areas. - Establishment of an International Monitoring and Truth-Finding Commission
The United Nations should create an independent commission to monitor the treatment of Afghan migrants, document human rights violations, and recommend accountability measures for perpetrators. Annual public reports and follow-up mechanisms must be implemented. - Guaranteed Access to Basic Humanitarian Services
Afghan migrants and refugees must have non-discriminatory access to healthcare, education, temporary housing, identity documents, and employment opportunities—with particular attention to mental health support for women and children. - Special Protection for Women, Children, and Vulnerable Groups
Women, children, ethnic minorities, and survivors of gender-based violence or political persecution must receive international protection through safe shelters, education opportunities for girls, and legal aid for female-headed households. - Acceleration of Asylum and Resettlement Processes
Countries and relevant organizations must expedite asylum case reviews, expand resettlement quotas, and prioritize at-risk groups, including women’s rights defenders, journalists, and human rights activists. - Accountability for Violations of International Commitments
The United Nations and international community must apply scrutiny and targeted diplomatic measures against governments that violate refugee protection obligations under international law. - Recognition of the Afghan Migration Crisis as a Humanitarian Emergency
Afghan migrants must not be treated as political tools. This crisis requires urgent global attention, humanitarian funding, and long-term development strategies for Afghanistan. - Support for Civil Society and Human Rights Campaigns
The international community must support grassroots advocacy initiatives and exile organizations working to amplify refugees’ voices and demand humane policies.
Our Final Appeal
On this United Nations Day, we urge the UN Secretary-General, UNHCR, UNICEF, IOM, and other agencies to fulfill their ethical and legal responsibilities toward Afghan refugees. Silence in the face of this humanitarian catastrophe equals complicity in injustice.
We, the justice women of Afghanistan, reaffirm our unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human dignity. We call on the world to stand not in silence—but in solidarity and action—with Afghan refugees.
Issued by:
The Afghanistan Women’s Justice Movement
📅 October 24, 2025
🌐 Website: af-wjm.org
✉️ Contact: info@af-wjm.org
