15 August 2025
Four years after the fall of Kabul, the Taliban continue to rule with impunity, enforcing systemic and widespread human rights violations across the country.
The Taliban’s ongoing repression and severe violations of women’s rights, coupled with persecution of journalists, dissidents, activists, critical voices and human rights defenders, make return deadly for millions of Afghans.
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is alarmed by the escalating crisis and urges the Australian Government to continue applying diplomatic pressure on Pakistan and other neighbouring countries to immediately halt deportations of Afghan refugees. The Government must also continue to prioritise evacuation of high-risk individuals, including those with links to Australia.
RCOA Refugee Ambassador Erfanullah Abidi fled Afghanistan in 2021 following the Taliban’s return to power. He says his experience was harrowing and that the situation for those left behind remains extremely dire.
“Today is a day that reminds me of loss of freedom, of hope, and of a future that so many Afghans were working hard to build. For me, it marks the moment my country stepped into darkness again and my family’s life and lives of millions of other Afghans changed forever. I knew what was coming – no human rights, no freedom and life under aggression.”
The reality on the ground remains unrelenting: Afghan women and girls are subjected to a system of gender apartheid, stripped of their rights to education, employment and freedom of movement, while religious and ethnic minorities endure routine discrimination, political exclusion, arbitrary arrests, killings and exile.
On 8 July 2025, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders, charging them with crimes against humanity, including gender persecution, further confirming the severity and scale of violations taking place.
The humanitarian crisis inside Afghanistan continues to deepen. Food aid programs have been slashed and health services are collapsing. International support is dwindling, particularly following significant U.S. funding cuts, leaving vital humanitarian aid and resettlement programs critically under-resourced.
Human Rights Watch warns that Afghanistan is facing one of the “worst humanitarian crises” globally, worsened by aid cuts and the forced return of nearly 2 million refugees.
Mr Abidi says, “The crisis in Afghanistan is not over. The Taliban’s repression is a daily reality, especially for women, girls, former Afghan government staff, and millions face hunger, poverty and fear.”
According to the UN, over two million Afghans have been expelled from Iran and Pakistan, many of whom fled Taliban violence. Since January this year, over 350,000 Afghan refugees have been forced to leave Pakistan under its 2023 “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan”. As recently as 31 July 2025, Pakistan confirmed it would be “repatriating” or forcibly returning Afghans, including people who held “Proof of Registration” cards. Tajikistan has also ordered Afghan refugees to leave the country or face deportation.
RCOA Deputy CEO Adama Kamara says the situation in Afghanistan is a human rights crisis that shows no sign of easing.
“The forced return of people to such conditions is not only unconscionable, but also a clear violation of international protection principles. We urge the Australian Government and other nations to act urgently to expand pathways and ensure stronger protection for refugees.”
Many Afghans in Australia have close relatives who remain at high risk, including those facing forced return from neighbouring countries. As part of broader complementary pathways reform, access to the family stream of the Migration Program should be unlocked to support timely reunion.
We call on the Government to improve access to refugee family union by introducing concessions, including flexibility around documentation, reduced visa fees and simplified processes.
Australia has taken several steps in response to the crisis, allocating 26,500 visa places for Afghan refugees, spread over four years since 2022. This was met with a commitment of $27.1 million for a Settlement Support Package to meet the needs of the Afghan evacuee cohort over a two-year period.
The Australian Government has received more than 250,000 requests for humanitarian visas, with over 25,000 visas granted since the fall of Kabul. For applicants in Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan, there is an ongoing threat from local authorities to send them back to Afghanistan.
We urge continued bipartisan support to uphold the Australian Government’s Global Refugee Forum pledge of $20 million in humanitarian assistance for displaced Afghans and their host communities. This funding is critical to deliver urgent aid and help build resilience in communities across the region through the Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Afghanistan Situation.
The Refugee Council of Australia urges the Australian Government to recognise the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan and recommit to supporting displaced Afghans with the safety, dignity and assistance they deserve.
