Afghan Refugees Facing Deportation in Pakistan

AliPakistani News, World News

Several Afghan citizens in Pakistan have reported the deportation of Afghan refugees from Punjab and Lahore by the Pakistani police.

Recently, Afghan refugees have stated that the Pakistani police are even arresting those who hold refugee cards.

“The deportation of Afghan refugees in Punjab and Lahore is ongoing. Life opportunities are no longer available. Afghans are very distressed and upset,” said Imran, one of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

“A place to live should be made available for us in Afghanistan because we have nothing there. How can we return? Here, they don’t allow us, and there, we have no place to live. So what should we do?” said Amir Mohammad, another refugee in Pakistan.

On the other hand, some Pakistani media outlets have reported that the second phase of Afghan refugee deportations has begun.

Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, quoting a senior official at the Afghan commissioner’s office in Peshawar, reported that the deportation of Afghan refugees holding ACC cards is set to seriously begin today (Thursday). According to the report, the UNHCR spokesperson told the newspaper that some cardholders may require international protection and called for bilateral cooperation for refugee relocation.

Qaiser Khan Afridi, UNHCR spokesperson for Pakistan, was also quoted in Dawn stating: “In that light, we are urging the government [view] their situation through a humanitarian lens. We also call for engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan so that the returns can be dignified and voluntary.”

“Authorities in Afghanistan along with IOM should create a plan for these Afghans so that if they are forced to return to Afghanistan, it should be done gradually, and living conditions should be provided for them,” said Ehsan Khan Ahmadzai, a refugee affairs activist.

Meanwhile, a day earlier, the consul general of the Islamic Emirate in Pakistan mentioned the commitment of the chief minister of Sindh to prevent harassment of legal Afghan refugees in Pakistan.