By Azada Tran
Zahra Musawi is three years into her immigration process to the United States since fleeing the Taliban, but the prospect of making it to the US is looking grim.
“When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, freedom died for us. But when we migrated to Pakistan, hope died for us here,” Ms Musawi said.
The 32-year-old left Afghanistan with her family after the country fell to the Taliban in August 2021. However, they still have no flight or visa to the US.
Simultaneously, Pakistan is increasing pressure to force refugees out. And the confusion and anxiety for people like Ms Musawi is mounting.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pause immigration for three months, starting from January 27 of this year.
According to Reuters, quoting an American official, the order swiftly saw 1,660 Afghan refugees have their flights cancelled.
President Trump has requested the US Department of Homeland Security to present a report within 90 days on refugees with pending asylum cases (USRAP). The report may be used to determine who would be allowed to enter the US.
No safety at any juncture
With no information regarding her case, Ms Musawi is fearful of being deported back to Afghanistan where she believes she it at risk as a former government employee in women’s empowerment and capacity building.
The years in Pakistan have been an excruciating wait with multiple instances of fleeing local authorities. Ms Musawi recalled times she’s taken her three-year-old daughter and spent nights outside their home to escape Pakistani police.
“As soon as I realized the police had entered our building, nothing else mattered – neither day nor night, nor cold or heat. I would grab my child’s hand and run to the fields and deserts,” Ms Musawi said.
“We spent days and nights without essential supplies, hungry and thirsty.”
On one occasion, she wasn’t fast enough to leave and she was detained with her daughter by the Pakistani police for a night in jail.
“It was the morning of February 22, 2025, when the police, dressed in uniform and driving a private car, entered my house. After searching my home, they took me and my child to the refugee camp prison because we didn’t have a visa,” she said.
“I was imprisoned for a full day and night in the cold without any facilities, with my child.”
She said her situation is not unique. They shared a jail cell with 28 other women and 18 children, all Afghan refugees.
“The room had no carpet, so we sat on the floor. At night, there were no blankets. We asked for blankets several times to at least cover our children, but no one listened. There was no nutritious food. They only gave us three spoons of chickpea stew with a lot of oil, packed in a plastic bag. For a full day and night, these three spoons of stew were distributed in two servings,” she said.
She was also beaten by the police for taking a video recording on her phone.
“A female police officer hit me on the chest with two strong fists in front of my three-year-old daughter,” she said.
Ms Musawi was released after pressure on the authorities from women’s rights activists and media, but she was forced to promise that she would leave the country by March 31.
Migrant conditions in Pakistan grow more extreme
Since the start of 2025, Pakistan has taken severe measures to expel illegal immigrants, with police raiding homes of refugees and arresting them.
In the latest development, Islamabad has threatened hundreds of thousands of Afghans that if they do not leave by the end of March, they will be deported.
It’s estimated Pakistan hosts around 2.8 million refugees, many of have no legal status.
Somaiya Shirzad is in a similar situation – a 35-year-old mother of a seven-year-old son. She has a P1 immigration case with the US and has reached the medical examination stage, but her process has now been suspended due to President Trump’s order.
“Believe me, the hardships of migration have affected my mental health so much that when I speak, my words get stuck. I’ve become forgetful. I cry day and night. I’m under immense pressure and in a terrible emotional state. My economic situation is such that I can barely afford dry bread for my son. He has missed school,” she said from her home in Islamabad.
“I feel completely hopeless, with no support. The Pakistani government says refugees must obtain a visa every month, but we don’t have the money for rent or basic living expenses. How can I afford a visa for two people every month? Each visa costs $100.”
Ms Shrizad said she was placed on the Taliban’s intelligence watchlist after participating in women’s rights protests in Afghanistan, and that’s why she fled to Pakistan.
Like Ms Musawi, she has dodged Pakistani authorities to the point of leaving the house for as long as they need.
“There have been days when my son and I were trapped in a room or even in the bathroom, unable to take a deep breath,” she said.
“I have many bitter memories. One day, my son was burning with a fever, and the police were at the door. We locked ourselves inside to avoid forced deportation. That day, my son suffered from a fever and cried all day. Here, every day is filled with torment for refugees.”
Poor mental health climbs in line with uncertainty
Parisa Azada, 25, spent 41 days in a Taliban prison after being caught protesting for women’s rights. After the former journalist was released March 27, 2024, she sought refuge in Pakistan.
So far in Ms Azada’s US visa process, she has had two interviews and medical examinations, but the new US approach has left her in a state of uncertainty.
“Since my release from the Taliban prison, I haven’t been in a good mental state,” Ms Azada said.
“At first, I took two tranquilizer pills a day, but now, as a refugee, I live in a place where every hardship is thrown at us. I must get a visa every month. My family supports me financially with great difficulty. I hope the US government transfers us soon.”
One of her biggest challenges is obtaining the Pakistani visa every month. She said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs often rejects applications, which forces refugees to obtain them through the black market or intermediaries who charge extra.
Ms Azada said that the Pakistani government should allow refugees to pursue their immigration cases freely and move to a safe country.
Women’s rights activist Julia Parsi said, “No one leaves their country and home willingly. Those who have sought refuge in Pakistan from Afghanistan are doing so to protect their own lives and their families.”
Farkhunda Mohibi, a journalist (right) and Parisa Azada, a women’s protest movement member (left)
Refugee rights activist Ramin Kabirzada said that refugees have no way of returning to Afghanistan and that refugee rights organizations should negotiate with the Pakistani government on this matter.
“The refugees who have sought shelter in Pakistan are mostly those who have no security in Afghanistan. If these refugees are deported back to Afghanistan, it would mean they are being sent to their deaths,” he said.
Farkhunda Mohibi, a 23-year-old journalist who worked in Afghanistan for at least seven years, is also facing difficulties. Her US immigration case is open, and according to her, 50 percent of the process has been completed.
She said the Pakistani government arrests refugees with residency documents (visas) and releases them only after payment.
She recalled that a family member with legal documentation was arrested by the Pakistani police and released only after paying 60,000 Pakistani rupees (about $215).
“There is no law in the world that allows refugees with visas to be forcibly deported,” Ms Mohibi said.
“But the Pakistani government, with its harsh measures, has made life unbearable for Afghan refugees. As soon as they find out that we are Afghan, we face all kinds of insults and mistreatment.”
