The United Arab Emirates has forcibly deported at least 27 Afghan refugees back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan since July 10, despite owing their displacement to the U.S. withdrawal in 2021. Emirati officials notified Washington of the decision, revealing a coordinated effort to "close this chapter for good". Refugees faced coercion: UAE authorities and Taliban diplomats pressured families to sign "voluntary" deportation papers under threat of arrest, a tactic mirroring Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians.
President Trump’s July 20 Truth Social pledge: "I will try to save them, starting right now" came after the UAE had already deported two families and days before 25 more were expelled. This hypocrisy is stark: Trump terminated Temporary Protected Status for U.S.-based Afghans in April 2025 and suspended all refugee resettlement, policies directly enabling these deportations. His administration ignored UAE requests for "perception management" to deflect blame for the crisis.
Most deported Afghans aided U.S. forces during the 20-year occupation, including interpreters, contractors, and family members of U.S. soldiers. Under Taliban rule, they face persecution, gender apartheid, and execution, yet the U.S. and UAE dismissed these risks. Shawn VanDiver of #AfghanEvac condemned the betrayal: "President Trump must expedite processing and secure third-country partnerships to honor our sacred duty".
Like Palestinians abandoned by Western powers after supporting peace processes, Afghans are sacrificed for geopolitical convenience. The U.S. and UAE’s "perception management" mirrors Israeli efforts to whitewash Gaza atrocities. Both cases reveal a pattern: refugees created by Western interventions are discarded when inconvenient, while their oppressors face no accountability.