United Nations human rights experts have urged Pakistan to immediately reverse its decision to expel Afghan medical and dental students, warning that the policy threatens the education and safety of dozens of Afghan students, particularly women who are barred from pursuing higher education under Taliban rule. The experts said the order could permanently end the academic careers of women studying medicine and dentistry if they are forced to return to Afghanistan.
The UN experts said at least 100 Afghan medical and dental students are affected by the directive, including an estimated 20 to 40 women enrolled in institutions in Pakistan’s Punjab province. They described the decision as a serious human rights concern because Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have banned women from universities and medical training, leaving those expelled with virtually no opportunity to continue their studies.
The statement comes as Pakistan has intensified its nationwide campaign to repatriate Afghan nationals, including undocumented refugees and some visa holders, amid deteriorating relations with the Taliban administration in Kabul. Pakistani authorities have accelerated deportations over the past year, affecting hundreds of thousands of Afghans living in the country.
UN says women students face irreversible harm
UN experts warned that expelling Afghan women enrolled in medical and dental colleges would have immediate and long-term consequences because they cannot legally resume their education in Afghanistan under current Taliban restrictions. They said the policy risks depriving a generation of Afghan women of the opportunity to become doctors and dentists at a time when female healthcare professionals remain critically needed in Afghanistan.
The experts also stressed that Pakistan has obligations under international human rights law to ensure equal access to higher education without discrimination based on nationality. They said students already enrolled in accredited institutions should be allowed to complete their degrees rather than face abrupt removal.
According to reports, Pakistan’s medical regulator instructed public and private medical and dental institutions to complete administrative procedures for Afghan students’ departure and suspend new admissions of Afghan nationals for the current academic session. Several universities in Lahore began issuing notices directing Afghan students to collect no-objection certificates and prepare to leave.
The directive applies to students studying under scholarship programs as well as those enrolled independently, according to Pakistan Medical and Dental Council officials quoted by media outlets.
Pakistan says only students without valid documents must leave
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has defended the policy, saying there is no blanket decision to expel all Afghan students. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said students who hold valid visas and remain enrolled in recognized degree programs can stay in Pakistan until completing their education, while those without valid immigration documents or academic registration are required to leave.
However, Afghan students and rights organizations say many affected students have been unable to renew visas despite submitting extension requests, leaving them vulnerable to expulsion through no fault of their own.
Rights groups condemn the decision
Human Rights Watch described Pakistan’s order as discriminatory and warned that returning Afghan women to Afghanistan would effectively end their medical education because of Taliban restrictions on women’s universities and professional training. The organization called on Islamabad to withdraw the expulsion order, restore students’ enrollment, and allow them to complete their degrees.
Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission also condemned the decision, warning it could turn an education policy into a humanitarian crisis by jeopardizing the future of young Afghan students already studying in the country.
