Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry statement dated Nov. 2 was read directly; it expresses concern over reports of transfers to Pakistan, calls for bilateral coordination and says returns should be safe and voluntary. The underlying US plan was checked against AP’s Oct. 31 report based on sealed court filings: one filing by a senior ICE official described a charter flight from Louisiana to Pakistan with further transport to Afghanistan, and a separate Oklahoma filing disclosed another scheduled removal. The filings establish plans for individuals, not that any flight departed or the total number affected. Reuters separately reported the expected use of Pakistan and cited US and advocacy sources; it says more than 150 may be affected, a figure not independently established in the court records reviewed here. AP said DHS declined to comment on future removals for operational-security reasons and it was unclear whether any affected people had protective orders. The images are dated archive context, not photographs of the people, flights or current case: the VOA image shows Afghan families returning from Pakistan on Oct. 31, 2023; the ICE image shows agency personnel at Delaney Hall in New Jersey in June 2026 during a separate operation.
Kabul calls for direct coordination
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry on Monday urged the United States to coordinate with Kabul over reports that Afghan nationals detained in the US could be transferred to Pakistan and then sent on to Afghanistan.
The ministry said it was seriously concerned about reported plans to move Afghans who have not obtained legal residency documents in Pakistan. It called for decisions to be made through clear bilateral understanding, with attention to the rights and “legitimate aspirations” of the people concerned. The statement said any return should be safe, dignified and voluntary.
Court filings describe planned transfers
The US plan has not been publicly detailed by the Department of Homeland Security. The Associated Press reported on Oct. 31 that sealed court filings described two individual cases: a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said one Afghan was scheduled for a charter flight from Louisiana to Pakistan, with “further transport onward to Afghanistan”; a separate filing in Oklahoma said another person was scheduled for removal to Afghanistan the following week.
Those filings show planned removals, not that a flight has departed. The US government has not publicly confirmed the number of people affected or provided a complete timetable. Reuters reported that more than 150 Afghans were expected to be deported, attributing that estimate to a New York Times report; the court records reviewed by AP did not establish that total.
Washington lacks diplomatic relations with Taliban authorities, Reuters reported, and the reported route would use Pakistan as an intermediary. Pakistan’s role and the final destination for each person remain central uncertainties.
Protection questions remain unresolved
AP reported that it was not immediately clear whether any people scheduled for return had court orders or other protections against removal to Afghanistan. The agency said DHS declined to comment on future operations, citing operational security, and the Pakistani Embassy did not immediately respond to its questions.
Refugee and veterans’ advocacy groups have warned that return could expose some people to retaliation. That is a concern raised by advocates, not a finding about every person named in the filings. The ministry’s statement is the first public response from Afghan authorities to the reported plan, but it does not confirm an agreement with Washington or say that deportations have occurred.
The next verifiable developments are whether the planned transfers proceed, whether US officials disclose the number and legal circumstances of those affected, and whether Pakistan accepts or returns them onward. Until then, the announced route and its timing remain plans described in court records and reporting.
Sources
4 references
- Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign AffairsMoFA Spokesman’s Remarks Regarding the Potential Transfer of Afghan Refugees to a Third CountryPrimary statement expressing concern over reported transfers to Pakistan and calling for coordination, respect for rights and safe, voluntary return. · 2026-11-02
- Associated PressUS plans to deport Afghans back to their home country through Pakistan, documents showReports court filings describing planned transfers from Louisiana to Pakistan with onward transport to Afghanistan; says DHS declined to comment and the affected people’s protection status was unclear. · 2026-10-31
- ReutersAfghanistan asks US to act responsibly on deporting Afghan immigrants back homeIndependently reports the Afghan ministry statement and expected use of Pakistan as a transit country; attributes the estimate of more than 150 to other media reporting. · 2026-11-02
- Euronews / AFPTaliban voices “serious concern” over US plans to deport Afghans via PakistanReports the ministry statement and cites AFP; provides separate account of advocacy concerns and Pakistan’s broader repatriation policy. · 2026-11-02
