Trump's executive order delivers 'death sentence' to Afghan refugees hoping to resettle in US from Pakistan

Afghan journalist Hamid Paykar had originally thought his three-year ordeal was finally coming to an end. He and his family had been living in Pakistan since shortly after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021. His previous work on projects under the Afghan government, funded by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, made him a target for the Taliban and qualified him for resettlement in the United States.

Several weeks ago, he and his family seemed to have overcome the final hurdles required for immigration. They had passed the security checks and medical examinations required for P-2 visas, a refugee visa category specifically created for Afghans who had worked with U.S. forces or projects. The UN's International Organization for Migration informed them that a flight had been scheduled for February 5.

"We made all the necessary preparations," Paykar told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "We ended the lease contract, bought necessities for us and our children, and distributed the remaining items to our friends because we were ready to leave." However, Donald Trump's inauguration and the series of executive orders he quickly signed, including one suspending the U.S. refugee program, changed everything. Paykar and his family ultimately failed to board that flight.

Trump's executive order led to the cancellation of flights for nearly 1,660 Afghan refugees who had already been approved by the U.S. government for resettlement, and it also left thousands more who had been approved for resettlement but had not yet been scheduled for flights in dire straits. Initially, the executive order suspended the country's refugee program for 90 days, meaning that those Afghan refugees who had been promised resettlement might still eventually be welcomed. But according to Reuters, a new travel ban similar to the "Muslim ban" established during Trump's first term could soon prohibit people from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the United States. The decision was reportedly "based on the government's review of security and vetting risks in various countries."

Not only has the path to the United States been blocked, but Pakistan's Ministry of Interior has also ordered all "illegal foreigners" and Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave the country "voluntarily" by March 31. "Thereafter, deportation operations will take effect from April 1, 2025," the Ministry of Interior said in a statement. Since the Taliban takeover, at least 600,000 undocumented Afghans have fled to Pakistan. Even if Trump resumes the country's refugee program after the 90-day suspension period, it will be too late. "Ample time has been given to them for their dignified return," the order noted, adding that no one would be "mistreated" during the repatriation process. "Pakistan has been a generous host and will continue to fulfill its commitments and obligations as a responsible state."

Paykar said that he and his family have "little hope" of being resettled in the United States. "We haven't given up completely... but the most painful thing is that we wasted three years waiting," he said. Before the Taliban takeover, Paykar worked as a journalist for 20 years, including participating in U.S.-funded documentary projects that mainly covered the Afghan security forces. It is currently unclear what awaits him and his family if they are now sent back to Afghanistan. "For President Trump and his government, this may just be another bureaucratic decision," he said. "However, for those of us who are former partners of the United States, such an order may be tantamount to a death sentence." He added: "I really don't believe that if we return to Afghanistan, we or our family will have a future or life there. It is very likely to be the last moments of our lives."

Lawyer and human rights activist Shakoofa Halili said that for her family, the terror has already begun. After the Taliban began targeting activists, she, her husband, and their then seven-year-old daughter fled to Pakistan in March 2022. "Fear permeates every family, every conversation, and every step I take," she told ABC. "Women's rights activists and human rights defenders began to disappear, were arrested, and have not been heard from since." Due to her involvement in U.S.-funded projects, Ms. Halili was also eligible for a P-2 visa. She passed all the screenings and was just waiting for a flight date when the program was suspended. A month ago, her husband went out to buy bread and was arrested by Pakistani police in front of their young daughter. "Since that day, my little daughter hasn't spoken," Ms. Halili said. "She doesn't play. She is silent, trapped in the horror she witnessed."

Ms. Halili said that the United States has abandoned the Afghans who once fought alongside it. "Now, I am trapped with thousands of Afghan allies," she told ABC. "The United States, which we trusted, has stopped our path to safety. We wait vulnerably, with no way forward and no way back. Every day, I hear more reports of deportations. Those who are sent back to Afghanistan face imprisonment, torture, or worse. Returning means death."

According to the UNHCR, as of early February, more than 800 Afghan nationals have been deported by Pakistan. The UNHCR said in a statement last month: "There has been an increase in the arrest of Afghan nationals in [Islamabad Capital Territory] and Rawalpindi since January 1, 2025, which is causing great distress, with reports that Afghan nationals with various identity documents are being arrested."

Naveed* is one of those who have already been sent back. What Paykar and Ms. Halili fear, he is already experiencing. Out of fear of retaliation, he is tight-lipped about what he did before the Taliban takeover. But it was enough to endanger his life. "I was working somewhere under the former regime," he told ABC. "I cannot reveal too much information about this job, [but] because I faced some danger, I had no choice but to go to Pakistan." He applied for asylum in Canada but never received a response, and he applied for a visa to stay in Pakistan but was rejected. For three years, he barely survived by working in the hotel industry and doing delivery work. Then, in late January, when he was delivering bread, Pakistani police raided the building where he was. They arrested and deported him. Now back in Afghanistan, he says he lives in "constant fear" and desperately wants to leave again, by any means necessary. "I had considered returning to Pakistan via informal border routes, but I was told that these routes have become too dangerous, so I have to wait," he told ABC. In the meantime, he has reapplied for a Pakistani visa. He says that even expressing his despair is dangerous. "I have a lot more to say, a lot of thoughts weighing on my heart, but due to the current situation and circumstances, I cannot express them."

*Name has been changed to ensure safety.