South Asia Desk: Reporters Sans Borders (RSF) has raised serious concerns about the worsening plight of Afghan journalists exiled in Pakistan, who face police harassment, arbitrary arrests, and threats of deportation.
RSF has urged the Pakistani government to guarantee their safety and uphold international principles of non-refoulement.
“Afghan journalists, forced to flee the Taliban to save their lives, are now living in extreme anxiety under recurring threats of arrest and deportation. The Pakistani government must take immediate action to ensure their safety and allow them to extend their visas for resettlement,” said Célia Mercier, Head of RSF’s South Asia Desk.
According to RSF report the situation has become particularly dire as Pakistani authorities have reduced visa durations for Afghan refugees to just one month, with renewal processes mired in complex bureaucracy.
“The visa renewal fee of $100 per person places a heavy financial burden on journalists, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet”.
In recent weeks, multiple Afghan journalists have reported being detained, harassed, or threatened with deportation. Police raids targeting Afghan refugees in Islamabad and surrounding areas have intensified, reportedly as a response to strained relations between the Taliban regime and the Pakistani government.
One journalist, who wished to remain anonymous, was deported to Afghanistan after being detained in Islamabad. Others have recounted chilling experiences of police raids, detention in holding centers, and fines that they are unable to pay.
Several Afghan journalists shared their experiences with RSF under anonymity. A journalist in Islamabad described how police conduct door-to-door searches to identify refugees without valid visas, often leading to immediate deportation. “In the past, visa extension applicants weren’t harassed, but now even those in the process of renewal are targeted,” they said.
Another journalist shared the ordeal of being detained with his wife and children: “My wife’s visa had expired, but she was renewing it. Despite this, we were taken to a deportation camp and spent the night in fear for our children who were left at home. We were released after pleading with the police chief but fined $400 for the visa delay, an amount we cannot afford. We are living in constant fear.”
In another case, a journalist and their family were detained despite applying for a visa extension. “I was released because of my children’s young age, but my husband was deported to Afghanistan, where his life is in grave danger,” they said.
RSF has established a support network for exiled Afghan journalists and is urging relevant authorities to provide these media professionals with dignified living conditions and facilitate their resettlement in permanent host countries.
Pakistan, ranked 152nd out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index, faces growing criticism for its treatment of refugees, particularly Afghan journalists who fled their homeland to escape Taliban persecution.
RSF’s appeal underscores the urgent need for Pakistan to uphold its international obligations and provide these journalists with the protection and support they desperately need.
