Islamabad/Kabul, Feb 13 Thousands of Afghan migrants, who have taken refuge in Pakistan, have called for an immediate pause in action directed at them by police authorities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Several incidents have been reported in Afghan media over the past few days that highlight the plight of Afghan migrants, including hundreds of women and children, as they are being arrested by police in various Pakistani cities and forcibly deported.
The Afghans have also criticised the long delay in processing cases of migration to third countries.
Fleeing from war and conflict in their country, migrants from Afghanistan have been taking refuge in Pakistan for decades now. With the Taliban returning to power in 2021, millions of Afghans migrated to Pakistan in fear of persecution.
In 2023, the situation of migrants deteriorated with Pakistan authorities engaging in abusive tactics and mass deportation.
The Pakistani government, after US President Donald Trump's order to suspend the refugee programme, is now working to move registered Afghan refugees out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and repatriate them back to their country.
Afghanistan's embassy in Pakistan reported the arrest of nearly 800 Afghan citizens in Islamabad recently.
Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, Acting Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, said that despite possessing visas and residency documents, Afghan citizens were detained by Pakistani police.
"The number of those detained is between 700 and 800. Some were even taken from their homes and transferred to a facility known for deporting Afghans," Shakeeb told leading Afghan media outlet TOLOnews.
Earlier this month, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a joint statement that it is concerned about recent developments requiring Afghan nationals in Pakistan to relocate from Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Rawalpindi or else face deportation. The two agencies sought clarity over the modality and timeframe of the relocation.
Both agencies stated that, since January, an uptick in arrests of Afghan nationals in the ICT and Rawalpindi has caused significant distress, with reports of Afghan nationals of various documentation status being rounded up.
"Forced return to Afghanistan could place some people at increased risk. We urge Pakistan to continue to provide safety to Afghans at risk, irrespective of their documentation status," stated Philippa Candler, the UNHCR Pakistan representative.
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