Afghanistan: UNHCR alarm over forced refugee returns from Tajikistan

In the latest incident, some five Afghans, including a family comprising three children and their mother, were returned home to Afghanistan, despite UNHCR's protests. "Tajikistan must stop detaining and deporting refugees, an action that clearly puts lives at risk," said Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR's Director of International Protection.

The UN refugee agency has documented a rise in forced returns across Afghanistan's borders in recent months, with families handed back to a country where humanitarian needs are vast and protections for women and minorities are shrinking.

UNHCR reiterated that refugees must be allowed to seek asylum and that no one should be returned to a place where their life or freedom would be threatened.