Concerns are mounting for Afghan Christians living in Tajikistan, following reports that the government is attempting to expel Afghan refugees and asylum seekers.
Following decades of conflict in Afghanistan, culminating in the disastrous US withdrawal from the country in 2021, many Afghans have fled the country. It is believed that between 2021 and 2022 alone, 3.6 million Afghans fled to neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Iran, as well as Tajikistan.
They do not always receive a warm welcome, though. In the last 18 months Pakistan is believed to have deported 845,000 Afghans. Earlier this year, Iran said it would be deporting four million Afghan migrants and refugees, although UN figures suggest 1.9 million Afghans have been removed from Iran and Pakistan over the last seven months.
Tajikistan is reportedly considering following the example of their larger neighbours, reports Premier Christian News.
Reports suggest that Tajik officials have been meeting Afghan refugees and asylum seekers and telling them that all Afghans will be required to leave the country in less than two weeks.
Over the least 10 months, 485 Afghans have been deported from Tajikistan, 334 of them being refugees or asylum seekers.
The small group of Christian converts among the Afghans living in Tajikistan have said they fear being returned to a country controlled by the Taliban, and that repatriation could be an effective death sentence.
A letter by an anonymous Christian Afghan leader, published by Premier Christian News, said, “We, a community of Afghan believers, now reside in Tajikistan. Yet our situation is uncertain and filled with fear and hope mingled together. Many conflicting reports surround us – some bring fleeting comfort, while others strike terror in our hearts.
“Some of us face the threat of forced return – a return not to safety, but for many, to the very mouth of death.”
The letter, which described the small Afghan Christian community as a “younger brother” in the worldwide family of believers, asked that the rest of the body of Christ hear the cry of their suffering, pray for them, and act as a voice for them.
The letter concluded, “Do not let the faith of these dear ones be crushed under the weight of exile and fear.”
