Pakistan's Controversial Deportation of Afghan Refugees: What You Need to Know

Forced Repatriation of Afghan Refugees Intensifies

Islamabad: The Pakistani government has ramped up efforts to repatriate Afghan refugees as the deadline of March 31 has passed, leading to a significant increase in deportations.

Since April 1, reports indicate that over 944 Afghan families, totaling around 6,700 individuals, have been sent back to Afghanistan.

The largest group of deportees was recorded in Punjab, where 5,111 Afghan nationals were moved to transit camps for repatriation, including 2,301 children and 1,120 women.

In Karachi alone, more than 300 Afghans were deported back to their homeland.

According to Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, the deportees from Karachi included 79 children, 37 women, and 191 men.

Additionally, a police operation in Rawalpindi has been targeting Afghan nationals, resulting in the detention of 736 individuals, including 140 women and 164 children, who were then taken to an Afghan refugee camp near Golra Mor. Out of these, 179 were deported to Afghanistan.

Authorities have identified around 100,000 Afghans residing in over 150 'Afghan Colonies' throughout Punjab, as reported by a local official.

Many Afghans in Hassan Abdal expressed their frustration over the abrupt enforcement of deportation orders, stating they had to sell their possessions at a loss and hurriedly close their businesses, leading to significant financial setbacks.

Deportees have recounted being arrested by police while working and subsequently deported, leaving behind their livelihoods and families.

"I owned a small hotel at the fruit market. The police detained me for four nights at Haji Camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before deporting me through Torkham," shared Gul Mohammad, a deportee, as reported by TOLO News.

Others have pointed out that while Pakistan requires visas, there is no proper system for obtaining them, leading to exorbitant prices on the black market.

"They arrested us while we were working. They took all our money and treated us poorly at the police station. They don't regard us as good neighbors," said another deportee, Aqakhan.

Pakistan's deportation strategy has faced criticism from various international organizations, which have expressed concern about the dangers refugees face upon returning to an unstable Afghanistan.

Despite these concerns, the Pakistani government has dismissed the apprehensions raised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other entities regarding the mass repatriation of Afghan refugees.