Over 100,000 Afghan Nationals Repatriated from Pakistan in April
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Synopsis
Pakistan's Interior Ministry has reported that over 100,000 Afghan nationals have returned to Afghanistan by the April 30 deadline for illegal residents and Afghan Citizen Card holders. Many families have cited mistreatment by Pakistani authorities during their repatriation, raising concerns over the future of those deported, particularly women and children.
Key Takeaways
- More than 100,000 Afghan nationals have left Pakistan.
- April 30 is the deadline for undocumented Afghans to return.
- Second phase of expulsion includes ACC holders.
- Many Afghan families reported mistreatment by police.
- UNHCR raised concerns over the deported individuals' future.
Islamabad, April 23 (NationPress) Pakistan's Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday that more than 100,000 Afghan nationals residing in the country have returned to Afghanistan as the April 30 deadline for the repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders draws near. In the past three weeks, Pakistan has expelled tens of thousands of Afghan nationals following the cancellation of their residence permits and the enforcement of a deadline for undocumented Afghans to return home.
This marks the second expulsion and repatriation drive for Afghan nationals, with the first phase initiated in 2023 targeting illegal and undocumented Afghans who have been in Pakistan for many years. During that initial phase, these individuals were given the chance to leave voluntarily or face apprehension and deportation.
In the current phase, the Pakistani government has included ACC holders, declaring a March 31 deadline for voluntary repatriation and an April 30 cutoff for the expulsion of all undocumented Afghans through the Torkham border.
The Interior Ministry confirmed, "In the first three weeks of April, a total of 100,529 Afghans have exited the country." Daily convoys of Afghan families have been observed making their way to the Torkham border since the voluntary repatriation deadline lapsed in March. Numerous Afghan families claim they have faced mistreatment and indignity at the hands of Pakistani law enforcement.
"I was born in Pakistan and have never set foot in Afghanistan. I feared that the police might humiliate me and my family. Now we are returning to Afghanistan out of utter helplessness," expressed Allah Rahman, a 27-year-old Afghan national born in Pakistan.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that although many Afghans are departing from Pakistan voluntarily, arrests and detentions are on the rise daily. According to the UNHCR, there have been at least 12,948 arrests and detentions in Pakistan throughout the year 2024.
Conversely, Afghanistan has condemned the alleged mistreatment of its citizens in Pakistan, urging the Pakistani government to ensure and "facilitate the dignified return" of Afghan refugees.
This issue was also discussed during a meeting between Afghanistan's Prime Minister Hasan Akhund and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during the latter's recent visit to Kabul.
With over half of the deported Afghan nationals being women and children, the UNHCR has voiced serious concerns about their future, as education beyond secondary school remains inaccessible for many in Afghanistan.
