On Friday, Pakistan responded to a United Nations request to halt the expulsion of Afghan nationals following the catastrophic earthquakes that resulted in over 2,200 fatalities in Afghanistan. Islamabad asserted its sovereign right to determine who may remain within its borders.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, had called on Pakistan to suspend its mass deportation initiative in light of the humanitarian crisis caused by the earthquakes. “In light of the situation, I urge the (government of Pakistan) to delay the execution of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” Grandi stated.
Nevertheless, Shafqat Ali Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign ministry, rejected this appeal, emphasizing: “Any individuals lacking documentation must depart. This is the course of action Pakistan is undertaking, as any other nation would, including those in Europe and elsewhere… it is our land, and we determine who remains here.”
For over forty years, Pakistan has provided refuge to Afghans escaping violence and humanitarian disasters, from the Soviet invasion to the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021. “Any individuals lacking documentation must depart.
This is the course of action Pakistan is undertaking, as any other nation would, including those in Europe and elsewhere… it is our land, and we determine who remains here,” Shafqat Ali Khan, the foreign ministry spokesperson, conveyed during a press briefing.
The World Health Organization estimated that 270,000 returnees have recently settled in the earthquake-affected regions bordering Pakistan. Afghans awaiting relocation to Germany have reported multiple police operations at guest houses, where German officials have requested them to remain for extended periods while their cases are processed.
Many individuals residing in the earthquake-impacted villages of eastern Afghanistan were part of the over four million Afghans who have been compelled to return to their homeland from Iran and Pakistan in recent years. Various groups of Afghans have experienced varying levels of stability, including access to employment and education, in Pakistan.
Some individuals were born and raised in that region, while others passed through on their way to resettlement in the West. Nevertheless, the government of Pakistan, citing an increase in violent incidents and insurgent activities, initiated a crackdown in 2023 aimed at evicting them, characterizing the population as “terrorists and criminals”.
As reported by the United Nations, over 1.2 million Afghans have been compelled to return from Pakistan, with more than 443,000 returning this year alone. The recent crackdown has primarily focused on approximately 1.3 million refugees who possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
Islamabad has established a deadline of September 1 for these individuals to depart or risk arrest and deportation.
