Afghan migrants report increase in forced deportations from Pakistan

Kabul, Sep 5 (IANS) Afghan migrants in Pakistan have said that there has been a surge in forced deportations from the country in the recent days. Afghan migrants in Pakistan stated that the Pakistani government has escalated the process of the forced removal of Afghan migrants after the designated deadline expired on August 31, local media reported on Friday.

Mir Miakhil, a representative of Afghan migrants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stated, "People are extremely anxious because they have been doing business here for nearly 40 years, and dismantling everything in such a short period is impossible."

Atiqullah Mansoor, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, said that Pakistani authorities have intensified the deportations of Afghan migrants despite the repeated appeals from migrants and international organisations, Afghanistan's leading news outlet Tolo News reported.

Mansoor said, "Not only did they not halt the deportations, but they escalated the process. We and international organisations have repeatedly appealed to the Pakistani government to carry out the deportations in a gradual and safe manner."

Several other Afghan migrants have slammed the Pakistani government's decision to not extend their visas. Afghan migrants said that they are facing serious hardship due to Pakistani government's refusal to not extend their visas.

Some migrant rights activists stressed the need to address the challenges faced by refugees and urged the Pakistan government to stop the forced deportations until the situation becomes normal in Afghanistan.

Another Afghan migrant, Mohammad Reza Sazesh, said that Afghan refugees were facing various problems. A migrant rights activist Jamal Muslim said, "Pakistan must remain committed to its core obligations. Even now, thousands of Afghan refugees with legal documents are being humiliated."

Pakistan has started detaining Afghan migrants after the expiration of their residency permits even as severe congestion has been reported at border points like Torkham from where Afghans have been trying to leave Pakistan, leading Afghan news agency Khaama Press reported.

Pakistan's Interior Ministry has issued orders to arrest and deport Afghan migrants as their residency permits expired at the start of this week. Pakistani authorities have asked law enforcement agencies to provide daily updates regarding the detentions of Afghan nationals. Police teams have been deployed to find and apprehend undocumented Afghan migrants.

Pakistan has continued to enforce its plan to deport approximately 1.4 million Afghans who have Proof of Registration (PoR) cards despite several international organisations making repeated requests to halt deportations. Apart from PoR holders, around 800,000 Afghans with Afghan citizenship cards, who live in Pakistan illegally, also face deportation, according to the officials, Khaama Press reported.

Humanitarian experts have warned that mass deportations may result in Afghan families facing heightened risks, including economic hardship, social instability, and potential exploitation along the border. International agencies have been calling on Pakistan and Afghanistan to hold talks in order to ensure the safe and humane treatment of Afghan migrants.

--IANS

akl/as