ISLAMABAD: The United Nations said on Saturday that the forcible removal of Afghans from Pakistan might result in serious human rights violations, including the breakup of family ties and the deportation of minors.
Recently, Pakistan declared a crackdown on migrants residing there illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans, warning them to leave by October 31 to prevent mass detention and deportation.
The government claims no discrimination towards Afghans and that all illegal immigrants are being targeted. It claimed to have a hotline established and provide prizes to anyone who alerts the authorities about such migrants.
The UN agencies said Afghanistan is going through a severe humanitarian crisis with several rights challenges, particularly for women and girls whom the Taliban ban from education beyond sixth grade, most public spaces, and many jobs.
“Such plans would have serious implications for all who have been forced to leave the country and may face serious protection risks upon return,” it said, referring to Pakistan’s crackdown.
They stated that they are prepared to assist in registering and managing Afghan nationals, including those who could require international protection, and recognized Pakistan’s “sovereign prerogative” over internal policies.
The International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency called on countries to “suspend forcible returns of Afghan nationals and ensure any possible returns to the country take place in a safe, dignified and voluntary manner.”
Landlords and property owners in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, have been served notices instructing them to expel “undocumented Afghan individuals” and their families by the end of the month or face legal consequences.
In some instances, the police have sought the assistance of clerics in local mosques to convey the message to worshippers about their responsibility to report the presence of Afghans in their communities.
Jan Achakzai, the Information Minister of the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan, has reported that hundreds of Afghan families have voluntarily left the country and crossed the border since the announcement. He also mentioned that authorities have taken into custody over 100 individuals, including both Afghans and Iranians.
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration and rights groups have criticized the recent crackdown in Pakistan.
For decades, Pakistan has been a refuge for Afghan refugees, with millions fleeing Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation from 1979 to 1989, creating one of the world’s largest refugee populations. Since then, more Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan, with an estimated 100,000 arriving since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
While Pakistani security forces and police have regularly detained and deported Afghans entering the country without valid documents in recent years, this marks the first time the government has announced such a significant crackdown.
This action comes during increased attacks by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which has hideouts and bases in Afghanistan but frequently crosses into Pakistan to launch attacks on its security forces. Pakistan has consistently called on the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan to halt their support for the TTP, a distinct group but one that shares an alliance with the Afghan Taliban. The Taliban denies providing sanctuary to the TTP.
