Pakistan expels thousands of Afghans in migrant crackdown
- Haroon Janjua I Deutsche Welle
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Haroon Janjua in Islamabad
The Taliban regime in Kabul is decrying Pakistan's drive to repatriate Afghan nationals, calling it a "forced deportation" which violates Islamic principles.
Pakistan has expelled over 8,000 Afghan citizens in a single week as part of a new repatriation initiative, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
Islamabad had previously called on all Afghan nationals without proper documentation to return home voluntarily by March 31 or face deportation. At the same time, the Pakistani authorities announced they will be canceling some 800,000 Afghan Citizen Cards which they had issued and urged the Afghan card holders to leave as well.
Authorities have established refugee centers in several cities to accommodate Afghan nationals before they are transported to the Torkham border crossing in northwestern Pakistan.
"The situation has escalated, with police actively searching neighborhoods and streets in cities and villages for Afghan citizens, particularly in Sindh and Punjab provinces," Moniza Kakar, a lawyer working for refugees' advocacy in Pakistan, told DW.
Kakar said that midnight raids were common, often leading to families being separated.
Return to Afghanistan 'puts my life at serious risk'
Human rights activist Ezatullah Bakhshi is currently hiding from the Pakistani authorities. He told DW that he had already been arrested twice since arriving in Pakistan and registering as a refugee in July 2023.
"They have threatened to deport me back to Afghanistan, which puts my life at serious risk due to my human rights activities," Bakhshi told DW.
"The first time I was arrested, I spent three days in detention before being released after paying a bribe. The second arrest lasted five days. In both instances, the police were aware of my background and the risks I would face if deported," he said.
Growing mistrust between Kabul and Islamabad
For decades, Pakistan had served as refuge for Afghans fleeing from wars or oppressive regimes in their own country. The latest major wave of refugees came in following the Taliban's return to power in 2021. Official estimates put the total number of Afghans who fled into Pakistan since the 1980s at around 4 million.
But Pakistan now faces security challenges on the border and worsening ties with the Taliban regime in Kabul, which also fueled anti-Afghan sentiment in Pakistan. Pakistani officials have mounted a series expulsion and deportation drives since 2023, largely ignoring protests by the UN and human rights groups, as well as potential risks for anti-Taliban migrants returning to Afghanistan.
Now, the UN refugee agency believes about three million Afghan nationals still reside in the country, with approximately 1.4 million holding proper documentation.
Kabul:Deportations violate 'international, Islamic, and neighborly principles'
At the same time, the Taliban regime also criticized Islamabad's stance, referring to the latest crackdown as "forced deportation."
"There is no doubt that the forced deportation of Afghan migrants and this unilateral action is against all international, Islamic, and neighborly principles," Abdul Motalib Haqqani, a spokesman for the Taliban-run Ministry of Migration and Repatriation, said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Since this matter concerns two countries, it is essential to work on a mutually agreed mechanism to ensure the dignified return of Afghans to their homeland," he said.
Fleeing in a nightdress
The Afghans remaining in Pakistan face harassment and live in constant fear of arrests.
"During the house-to-house raids in Islamabad last month, I discovered that the police were in our building just as my visa expired," Latifa Yaqoubi, a member of the Women's Freedom Light Movement of Afghanistan, told DW.
"In a panic, I ran towards the fields, not even realizing what I was wearing. Once I felt safe from their sight, I found that I had escaped in slippers and a nightdress. The hardest part was sitting in the fields while people passing by laughed at our situation."
Afghans who arrived in Pakistan following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021 have been relying on visa renewals to stay in the country, a procedure that is costly, uncertain, and often subject to significant delays.
Maria Noori, an activist in hiding, said that the international community needed to act.
"The Pakistani government has reduced visa durations to just one month, creating a new layer of suffering. People are expected to renew their visas monthly, which is financially impossible for many. Imagine a family of eight — how can they afford repeated extension fees when they can barely feed themselves?" she told DW.
NATO helpers at risk
Legal experts contacted by DW agree that Afghan activists in Pakistan need urgent help.
"Things look bleak, not just for Afghans living in Pakistan but also for Pakistani activists who are supporting them as both are being harassed by authorities and it needs attention on a humanitarian basis," Osama Malik, a legal expert on refugee rights, told DW.
"Most of the Afghans in Pakistan are not supporters of the Taliban, and quite a few of them have previously worked with NATO forces, foreign NGOs etc. They are therefore at an increased risk of persecution at the hands of Afghanistan's de facto rulers," he added.
Ezatullah Bakhshi, the head of the Institution of Civil Society and Human Rights in Afghanistan, knows what to expect if he is ever sent back across the border. Before the two arrests in Pakistan, he was jailed by the Taliban due to his efforts to support marginalized communities. He said the Taliban will "likely" execute him.
"During my time in Taliban custody, I endured severe physical and psychological abuse. The Taliban have a personal vendetta against me because of my activities, and they are determined to silence me," Bakhshi said.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
Haroon Janjua Journalist based in Islamabad, focusing on Pakistani politics and society
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