Urgent Appeal to the United Nations Office, UNHCR, and All International Organizations
The Federation of Afghan Journalists in Exile expresses its deepest alarm at the growing threats faced by Afghan journalists living in Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey. Hundreds of Afghan journalists — who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 — remain trapped in legal limbo, forced to renew visas under impossible conditions or survive undocumented, despite valid asylum claims or resettlement applications.
These journalists face daily risks of arbitrary detention and forced deportation. If returned to Afghanistan, they would face serious and direct threats to their lives because of their commitment to truth, accountability, and freedom of expression — values that the global community has pledged to defend.
One of the main reasons for this crisis is the complex and costly visa renewal process, combined with insufficient legal protection for exiled journalists. Many are forced to renew their visas every month at high expense, while delays and administrative obstacles leave them in constant fear of arrest and deportation — pushing entire families into anxiety, instability, and trauma.
The Federation of Afghan Journalists in Exile urgently calls on:
The Governments of Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey to immediately stop the detention and deportation of Afghan journalists and their families;
The relevant Ministries of Interior and Immigration to address administrative delays and ensure clear, fair, and affordable visa procedures for Afghan journalists;
The United Nations Office, UNHCR, and all international organizations that defend press freedom and human rights to take urgent, practical steps to protect Afghan journalists at risk;
All relevant actors to recognize the vital role these journalists continue to play in defending freedom of expression and democracy under extremely dangerous conditions.
These journalists are not criminals. They are truth-tellers forced to flee their homeland to survive. Forcing them back would knowingly put their lives in danger and violate international human rights and refugee protection standards.
We appeal to the United Nations Office, UNHCR, and all international and national networks defending press freedom and human rights to stand with Afghan journalists at risk in Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey, and to amplify their voices until they receive real protection and safe resettlement.
The Federation of Afghan Journalists in Exile stands firmly with every Afghan journalist in exile and calls on the international community to act now, before more lives are lost.
