Fleeing the Taliban regime and reprisals, nearly 200 Afghan journalists in exile supported by RSF hoped to find temporary refuge in Pakistan along with their families while waiting to obtain visas for a third country. But resettlement procedures in Western countries are now at a standstill or severely slowed down, with waiting times sometimes lasting several years. In Pakistan, these journalists now face forced deportation to Afghanistan, which would expose them to an extreme risk of Taliban reprisals.

For the past six months, RSF has been receiving an increasing number of reports and calls for help from Afghan journalists in exile who have been arbitrarily arrested by the Pakistani police, sent to detention centers, and even deported within hours. At least 20 of them, supported by RSF, have been forcibly repatriated. Despite multiple calls for the protection of journalists, the policy of deporting Afghan refugees en masse — which began in 2023 — continues. Pakistani residence visas for refugees have barely  been renewed since the summer of 2025, throwing them into an illegal living situation. Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior did not respond to RSF inquiries about the deportations of journalists in exile.

“The situation of Afghan journalists in Pakistan has become unbearable. After fleeing persecution by the Taliban, these men and women are now confronted by arbitrary arrests and the threat of being deported on a daily basis, in direct violation of the principle of non-refoulement — a cornerstone of international law. These media professionals, who fled Afghanistan to save their lives, are now being criminalised by the Pakistani government. RSF once again calls on the Pakistani authorities to immediately put a stop to the deportations and restore a functional visa renewal process for these journalists who have been forced into exile. We also urge the international community to open safe and legal channels for their rapid resettlement in third countries.

RSF, who set up a support network to assist these journalists exiled, has gathered the testimonies of three of them who describe what it is like to live under constant pressure. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.

“The Pakistani visa renewal process is now suspended.”

“We live in constant fear of being arrested and deported. The police have come to our home several times, ordering us to return to Afghanistan. I have also been stopped several times in markets and released only after paying bribes. My wife and daughter were also arrested at our home in my absence, but fortunately they were released a few hours later. I no longer have a valid Pakistani visa. I have submitted several applications, all of which have been rejected, and the renewal process is now completely suspended. My wife is ill, but without a valid Pakistani visa, I cannot always accompany her to the doctor. My family and I are deeply affected. I have been waiting since 2024 for an appointment in an embassy to be resettled. These conditions are extremely trying for any human being. Every moment is lived in fear and uncertainty. And if I were to be deported, my life would be in danger; the Taliban would show me no mercy. I currently work for a media outlet that they consider “hostile to their interests.” Yet our mission is simply to defend press freedom and give Afghans a voice. But this is precisely what the Taliban consider ‘illegal’ and threatening to their regime.“

”We have been waiting for almost two years to be resettled in a third country.“

”After a traumatic detention under the Taliban regime, I was forced to flee with my family. But life in Pakistan has brought us neither peace nor security. Every day is spent in fear of being arrested, even for the most mundane activities, such as daily shopping. I was arrested by the Pakistani police at the beginning of the year along with my husband. In the detention centre, more than 60 people were crammed into a single room, in extremely unsanitary conditions. Only two meals were provided per day, and migrants were treated like criminals. Women, children, and the elderly were in deplorable conditions with no logical justification. My husband’s deportation resembled a political trial. No legal authority reviewed our visa documents. The police transferred him directly from detention to the Torkham border and deported him to Afghanistan. He had no opportunity to protest or contact us. I was released after a few hours, but I waited until midnight outside the camp gates with my three young children, not knowing what had happened to him. Shortly afterwards, I was arrested again and, after paying a sum of money, I was able to avoid being transferred to the detention camp. The police treat refugees in a humiliating and threatening manner, ignoring their residence documents. And visa renewals for Afghans in Pakistan are extremely difficult, costly, and riddled with corruption. The official cost is $15 [approximately 13EUR] per person, but in reality, you have to pay nearly $100 [approximately 86EUR] each month, much of which goes to intermediaries linked to the Ministry of the Interior, who is responsible for ‘validating’ visas. Without this, applications are generally rejected, forcing refugees to pay heavy fines or risk arrest. For large families, this is an unbearable burden. But for several months now, the Pakistani government has suspended all visa renewals, plunging many families into illegality. We have been waiting for almost two years to be resettled in a third country. I still haven't gotten an interview appointment at the French embassy. I feel like I'm living in limbo, with no certainty about tomorrow."

“I explained that I was a journalist, but they confiscated everything I had — my phone, passport, ID card...”

“When I fled to Pakistan in 2023, the owners of our home extorted money from us for the first few months, claiming it was being paid to the police to prevent our arrest. Despite this, the police regularly raided our home and ordered us to leave on the spot. To avoid the police, we were forced to hide, spending the night in parks or hospitals. Then we had to leave our home and move several times. Unfortunately, the police came and forced their way in. Despite showing my press card and documents, the officers were brutal, confiscated my phone and papers, and took me to the Haji detention camp in Islamabad. Once there, I was terrified. I explained that I was a journalist, but they confiscated everything — my phone, passport, ID card — before locking me in a large room with other women. Later, when we were transferred to the Afghan border at Torkham, I again asked for help, explaining that my life was in danger, but no one listened to me. It was only when I was deported that my phone and papers were finally returned to me. When I crossed the border, my body was moving forward, but my soul was dead. I didn't know what awaited me: being killed, imprisoned, or assaulted. I walked, lifeless, and stayed in a refugee camp. Later, thanks to friends, I obtained a three-month visa and was able to return to Pakistan. But upon my return, I was forced to move several times. Today, the visa renewal process is suspended. These unbearable trials have plunged me into deep psychological distress. Every day feels like a countdown to the visa expiry date, and the fear of being deported has become a permanent shadow, an invisible monster that haunts our thoughts and our nights.”

Pakistan ranks 158th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 edition of the World Press Freedom Index published by RSF.