More than 150 Afghans who once bet their safety on America could be put on flights back to Taliban rule within days — and Kabul is publicly asking Washington to think carefully about how it happens.
Key Points
- The Afghan foreign ministry said on Monday that Kabul is prepared to engage constructively with Washington on deportations.
- More than 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to be deported, with the first flight possible as early as Monday, according to the New York Times.
- Because the US has no diplomatic ties with the Taliban government, deportations would be routed via Pakistan.
What Kabul said
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has asked the United States to “act responsibly” when deporting Afghan immigrants back to the country, the Afghan foreign ministry said on Monday, in a carefully worded statement that mixed a warning with an offer of cooperation.
According to Reuters, the ministry said Kabul was prepared to engage constructively with Washington on the issue — a notable formulation from a government the United States does not formally recognise. The statement is the Taliban’s first public response since it emerged on Friday, via a US official and a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups, that President Donald Trump’s administration plans to deport some Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan.
The New York Times has reported that more than 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to be deported in this first wave, and that the first flight could leave as soon as Monday.
Why these deportations are so complicated
Deporting people to Afghanistan is not like deporting them almost anywhere else. The United States has no embassy functioning in Kabul and no diplomatic relationship with the Taliban authorities, which means it cannot arrange removals directly. Instead, according to Reuters, the deportations would be routed via Pakistan — a third country that has its own fraught relationship with Kabul.
Islamabad and Kabul have repeatedly clashed over militant attacks, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harbouring militants who stage cross-border raids. Routing deportation flights through Pakistan therefore adds a second layer of diplomacy to an already sensitive operation, and gives both governments leverage they may choose to use.
There is also the question of who exactly is on the flights. Many Afghans in the US immigration system arrived after the chaotic 2021 withdrawal, including people who worked alongside American forces. Veterans’ groups have been among the loudest voices warning that returning such people to Taliban rule could put them in danger, and advocacy organisations were the first to publicise the deportation plans on Friday.
The wider immigration picture
The planned flights land in the middle of the administration’s broader deportation drive, which has become one of the defining issues of Tuesday’s midterm elections. Border communities in Texas spent the weekend discussing exactly these policies, and immigration enforcement is expected to be a decisive factor in several close Senate and House races.
For the Taliban, the statement is also a piece of statecraft. By responding publicly, calmly and in the language of responsible partnership, Kabul presents itself as a government Washington has to deal with — recognition by practice, if not by name. Every negotiation over flights, lists and logistics deepens that practical engagement, whatever the formal position.
What happens next
Attention now turns to the airports. If the first flight leaves on Monday as reported, the names on its manifest — and whether any are former US allies — will draw immediate scrutiny from Congress, veterans’ organisations and the courts. Legal challenges to Afghan removals have been filed before, and advocacy groups are expected to move quickly if they believe protected individuals are included.
Kabul, for its part, has said the door is open. Whether Washington walks through it — negotiating terms with a government it does not recognise, or simply flying people home via Pakistan — will say a great deal about how far practical cooperation between the two sides has quietly come.
Sources: Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghanistan-asks-us-act-responsibly-deporting-afghan-immigrants-back-home-2026-11-02/
