UN Rapporteur Critiques US Policy on Afghan Migrants Amid Threat of Expulsions

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, warned in response to the halt of the Afghan migration process and the threat of mass expulsions by American officials that punishing the entire Afghan community for the actions of one criminal is utterly unjust and meaningless. He stressed that the criminal must be held accountable, but calm should prevail…

Reaction of Bennett to the Threat of Expulsions and Review of Migration Cases

Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Council’s rapporteur on Afghanistan, reacted bluntly to the halt of the examination of Afghan migration requests in the US and the threat by officials of that country for broader expulsions. This action by the US came after a shooting incident involving an Afghan citizen against the National Guard of the US.

Warning Against Collective Punishment

Mr. Bennett emphasized on his X account that while the criminal should face the consequences of their actions, the entire Afghan migrant community should not become victims of one individual’s deed. He added: The criminal must be held accountable, but the entire Afghan community should not be punished for the actions of a single individual. This would be profoundly unjust and utterly meaningless. He finally called for calm to prevail and for decisions to be made with justice in mind.

Trump’s Order and the Vice President’s Threat

These remarks come after the US Immigration Services halted the processing of Afghan immigration requests in response to a recent attack. Simultaneously, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has ordered that the cases of all Afghan residents who entered the US during the previous president’s (Joe Biden’s) term be reviewed again. In this context, JD Vance, the Vice President of the United States, also took a threatening stance, stating: Many of our voters will demand not just words, but action… We will first hold the shooter accountable for their actions, and then we must intensify our efforts to expel those who have no right to be in our country.