Pakistan deports over million Afghan nationals in ‘crackdown’ on undocumented Immigrants 

Reports have just broken that Pakistani security forces have clamped down on the Afghan immigrants living in the country without proper documentation. On Wednesday, the forces reportedly detained and deported dozens of these people, following the expiration of the deadline set by the government for them to leave. 

This operation, which some have referred to as a “crackdown”, targets all foreigners who do not have official documents or are not registered with the government. Despite the cover, it’s clear that the main attention is on the estimated two million residing undocumented in Pakistan. 

Notably, the aggressive move has attracted widespread criticism. The United Nations agencies and human rights groups stand among voicing strong opposition to this, along with the Taliban-controlled administration in Afghanistan. Interior Minister of Pakistan Sarfraz Bugti confirmed the commencement of the deportations and was quoted as saying, “Today, we said goodbye to 64 nationals as they began their journey back home,” on a social media platform dubbed ‘X’.

The United Nations is taking a firm stance against these forced migrations. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through his spokesperson, shared his concerns and appealed to Pakistan to reconsider the ongoing process. He also highlighted the current situation of Afghanistan, which battles with a grave humanitarian crisis and rampant human rights abuses, emphasizing that it’s ill-prepared to reintegrate these returnees. 

The operation on Wednesday was not restricted to any one region, it was conducted across several cities and provinces like Karachi, Rawalpindi, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This action has caused panic among thousands of Afghans residing in Pakistan awaiting relocation to the United States under a special refugee program. The United States has a requirement that these applicants first relocate to a third country for processing, in this case, Pakistan. Most of these applicants are individuals who fled Afghanistan due to fear of persecution after having worked for the US government, non-governmental organizations, or media before the Taliban regained power. Some of them had returned to Afghanistan after the Taliban announced an amnesty.

On Tuesday, a US official stated that Washington’s priority was the safe and efficient resettlement of over 25,000 eligible Afghans from Pakistan to the US. On Wednesday, Islamabad confirmed receiving a list of these eligible Afghans from the US. However, Pakistani officials felt the list was defective and lacked complete information. Following Pakistan’s request for clarity, US officials withdrew the list for review and revision. 

The US Embassy made no immediate response to these developments. On Tuesday, thousands of Afghans packed onto trucks and buses and flocked to two crucial border crossings. Their intention was to return home voluntarily to avoid arrest and forced deportation. These individuals are part of the over two million undocumented Afghan people living in Pakistan, with at least 600,000 of them fleeing after the militant group took over in 2021. 

The current scenario in Pakistan is not conducive for Afghans who look to find refuge and settle.

The Human Rights Watch has accused Pakistan of using coercion techniques including threats, abuse, and detention, to force Afghan asylum seekers back to their homeland. They have urged the Pakistani authorities to abandon the deadline and work with international agencies to facilitate registration for the undocumented. 

In Afghanistan, the Taliban government voiced concerns regarding the forced expulsion and urged host nations to refrain from such draconian measures. Meanwhile, Afghan returnees who find themselves stranded without a place to live might soon have temporary camps set up for their accommodation according to local media reports. 

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