The United Arab Emirates has begun a large-scale Afghan deportation, sending home nationals who were temporarily housed during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Emirati officials confirmed that the repatriation process started on July 10. They also officially notified Washington about the decision.
These Afghans were transferred to the UAE at the U.S. government’s request after the Taliban regained control of Kabul in 2021. Iran has also recently sent thousands of Afghan migrants back to Afghanistan. Officials believe that countries sheltering Afghan refugees now see them as potential security risks. Pakistan, too, faces a similar challenge, and experts say it must speed up the deportation of Afghans due to rising security threats.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would work to help Afghans detained in the UAE for years. They fled Afghanistan when U.S. troops pulled out, and the Taliban returned to power. Trump, who earlier halted refugee programs and removed temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in America, posted on Truth Social, “I will try to save them, starting right now.”
Trump cited a report by “Just the News” claiming that UAE authorities could hand over some Afghan refugees to the Taliban. Reuters has not independently verified this claim. The U.S. State Department did not comment.
The UAE, a major U.S. ally, agreed in 2021 to give temporary shelter to several thousand Afghans during the American pullout. Under Joe Biden’s administration, nearly 200,000 Afghans were resettled in the United States. Canada later pledged to take in around 1,000 Afghans from the UAE after a U.S. request. The exact number of Afghans still in the Gulf country remains unclear.
Afghan refugees continue to face expulsion worldwide. In the last seven months, nearly 2 million were sent back from Iran and Pakistan, the United Nations reported. Germany also deported 81 Afghan men last Friday amid tighter refugee entry rules, while several EU nations are pressing for stricter asylum measures.
In the U.S., Democrats are urging Trump to restore protected status for Afghans, warning that women and children are at extreme risk under the Taliban. Many of the refugees are families of Afghan-American service members, children cleared for family reunification, and thousands who worked for the U.S. government during the two-decade war.
Shawn VanDiver, head of the #AfghanEvac advocacy group, called on Trump to turn words into action. “President Trump must direct the DHS and State Department to accelerate processing, secure third-country agreements, and ensure no Afghan allies are left behind,” he said.
Security experts in Pakistan argue that Afghan refugees pose a growing threat, with many involved in militancy, smuggling, and cross-border crimes. They emphasize that Pakistan must follow the UAE and Iran in ramping up Afghan deportations to safeguard national security.