Afghan Migrants, refugees and journalists forced to leave Pakistan
Undocumented Afghan refugees were given less than a month by Pakistan to leave the country and go back to their native country. This left lacks of Afghan migrants and refugees with no choice but to leave their lives in Pakistan and go to Afghanistan .
According to local media reports on Tuesday, around 100,000 afghan immigrants left the country for their home country form Torkham border crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Chaman crossing in Baluchistan province.
For Afghan Refugees in Pakistan who left their homeland to get a better life, this decision meant, going to the same difficult life in Afghanistan.
All illegal migrants were given the time till First November to leave the country. Pakistan, earlier this month also threw accusations at Afghan nationals for being responsible for several attacks, smuggling and other crimes on the Pakistani soil.
Afghans flee Pakistan
After the order, thousands of Afghan nationals were forced to leave Pakistan. On October 31, thousands of such people were heading towards borders to return, to the soil, they said goodbye earlier.
Afghan Nationals leave Pakistan. Img Credit- Reuters
The caretaker interior minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Tuesday said that "Only two days are left for a voluntary return." The interior minister also said that Pakistan is not deporting any refugee. Only those who are completely illegal will leave Pakistan. According to his ministry, more than four million Afghan migrants live in Pakistan. Amongst these, about 1.7 million of them are undocumented.
Large number of Afghan people left home and sought refugee in Pakistan during the Soviet invasion in 1980s. In 2021, Taliban again regained power in the Afghanistan, resulting in 8 to 9 lakh people leaving the country.
Action against attacks
Pakistan has been under several terrorist attacks this year, including the twin blast of last month during the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad which killed around 60 people.
Considering the increased number of attacks in Pakistan, the government has taken this step. The govt has said that, out of all attacks, Afghan nationals were involved in 14 suicide attacks this year. Apart from this, it has also accused militant groups operating on Pakistani soil for training fighter over the border.
The Minister also said that those who leave the country voluntarily, they will be provided assistance by the government at temporary centres. The government will provide them food and health facilities for two-three days.
Threat to life at Home
Afghan refugees who are leaving Pakistan, to go to their home country, will be vulnerable to life threats in Afghanistan under the Taliban Regime.
International organisations and agencies have called out the decision of Pakistan to deport these migrants and have asked the country to push the deadline.
Pakistan has resorted to its decision and have refused to push the deadline.
Amnesty International said "“Amnesty International strongly reiterates its call to the Government of Pakistan to immediately reverse its decision to forcibly deport unregistered Afghan refugees ahead of the deadline set for tomorrow. "
It also expressed its concern against the lives of the these migrants. It said that it is the collective failure of the Pakistan Government and the international community to share the responsibility for their Protection. It said that women, journalists, human rights defenders, protestors, artists, and former government officials and security personnel are at risk.
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