Afghans who have fled conflict and persecution in their homeland now face being deported from the havens they have found in both the US and Pakistan.

Pakistan has deported more than 19,500 Afghans this month, among more than 80,000 who have left ahead of a 30 April deadline, according to the United Nations.

At the same time, the Trump administration has terminated temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in the US.

An estimated 14,600 Afghans eligible for temporary protected status (TPS) in the US will now lose it in May.

Pakistan has accelerated its plans to expel undocumented Afghans and those who had temporary permission to stay, saying it can no longer cope.

Between 700 and 800 families are being deported daily, Taliban officials say, with up to two million people expected to follow in the coming months.

Some expelled Afghans at the border said they had been born in Pakistan after their families fled conflict.

More than 3.5 million Afghans have been living in Pakistan, according to the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, including around 700,000 people who came after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

The UN has estimated that half are undocumented. Pakistan has taken in Afghans through decades of war, but the government says the high number of refugees now poses risks to national security and causes pressure on public services.

And there has been a recent spike in border clashes between the security forces of both sides. Pakistan blames them on militants based in Afghanistan, which the Taliban deny.

Pakistan had extended a deadline for undocumented Afghans to leave the country by a month, to 30 April.

Reporting from the Torkham border crossing the BBC said some expelled Afghans claimed they left Afghanistan decades ago – or had never lived there.

Returnees receive between 4,000 and 10,000 Afghanis ($80 to $100) from the Kabul authorities.

But the mass deportation is placing significant pressure on Afghanistan’s fragile infrastructure, with an economy in crisis and a population nearing 45 million people.

The UN agencies UNHCR and IOM have voiced concerns over the forced deportations.

“UNHCR and IOM are especially concerned for Afghan nationals who may face a risk of harm upon return, such as ethnic and religious minorities, women and girls, journalists, human rights activists, and members of artistic professions like musicians and others,” the agencies said in a statement.

“Pakistan has a proud tradition of hosting refugees, saving millions of lives. This generosity is greatly appreciated. Forced return to Afghanistan could place some people at increased risk. We urge Pakistan to continue to provide safety to Afghans at risk, irrespective of their documentation status,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Afghans in the United States are facing the prospect of being sent back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan for good.

The Trump administration has terminated temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in the US as part of US President Donald Trump’s far-reaching immigration crackdown.

An estimated 14,600 Afghans eligible for temporary protected status (TPS) will now lose it in May.

Mr. Trump took office in January pledging to deport record numbers of migrants in the US illegally.

At the same time, he moved to strip migrants of temporary legal protections, expanding the pool of possible deportees.

The TPS program is available to people in the US whose home countries experience a natural disaster, armed conflict or other extraordinary event.

The status lasts 6-18 months, can be renewed by the Homeland Security secretary, and includes deportation protection and access to work permits.

Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem has decreed that the conditions in Afghanistan no longer merited the protected status, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

But advocates say that many of the Afghans who have arrived in the US recently worked with US and other coalition forces and would face reprisals from the Taliban if forced to return to Afghanistan.