GENEVA — The Swiss government has rejected reports that it is considering the deportation of Afghan refugees based on ethnic identity, calling such claims “completely unfounded,” according to a statement from Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
The response follows a recent article in the Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung that cited internal discussions at the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) about the potential return of Afghan refugees, allegedly based on Pashtun ethnicity. The report sparked public outcry and concern among Afghan communities and political figures.
In a formal communication shared with Afghan diplomats in Geneva, Swiss authorities emphasized that there has been no change in asylum or deportation policy based on ethnicity, specifically regarding Afghan Pashtuns.
“The Directorate of International Affairs at SEM reassured us that these allegations are completely unfounded,” the Afghan mission said in a statement. “The article in question referenced internal documents examining hypothetical scenarios for return programs, but at no point was ethnicity—particularly Pashtun identity—considered as a criterion for deportation.”
The Swiss response added that it regretted any confusion or distress caused to Afghan nationals residing in the country by what it described as a misinterpretation of internal planning documents.
Mohibullah Tayeb, human rights officer at Afghanistan’s permanent mission in Geneva, echoed the Swiss clarification, saying:
“I am fully confident that Switzerland will not carry out deportations based on ethnicity, religion, or affiliation. Such actions would go against the human rights principles Switzerland has long championed.”
The statement was further reinforced by Richard Bennett, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bennett said he had also received “reassuring clarification” from Swiss authorities.
“Returning individuals to Afghanistan based on ethnicity has never been under discussion,” Bennett wrote. “This is a critical point — conflating Pashtun identity with Taliban support or safety in Afghanistan is inaccurate, discriminatory, and harmful.”
The NZZ report had drawn widespread criticism from Afghan civil society activists and political groups, many of whom warned that any deportation policy linked to ethnic identity would be a violation of international refugee protections.
Switzerland’s official response appears to have calmed immediate concerns, though Afghan diplomats say they will continue to monitor the situation closely.
