Afghan refugees in Pakistan face numerous challenges: Report

Kabul [Afghanistan], June 25 : Afghan refugees in Pakistan face numerous challenges, including arbitrary detentions, harassment, and imprisonment by Pakistani police due to failing to provide valid residential permits and visas, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

Pakistan is one of the primary destinations where Afghan refugees have travelled to after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. After the Taliban's return to power in 2021, new waves of Afghan refugees shifted to Iran and Pakistan due to various reasons, including fearing death threats and persecution by the Taliban.

In spite of the refugees having the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) certificate, Pakistani police and other relevant agencies continue detaining and incarcerating Afghan refugees in various parts of the country, including Islamabad, Khaama Press reported.

Earlier, Maniza Kakar, an attorney of Afghan prisoners in Karachi claimed Pakistani police tore the residential documents of some Afghan nationals while they were arrested, the report said. Pakistani government's mistreatment of Afghan refugees has been termed as "inhuman and hateful," sparking criticism in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other nations.

"In less than two years, I have been detained three times by the police - harassed, humiliated and bitten due to not having a valid residential permit. Life has become extremely difficult for me in Pakistan. Every time, I come across police, I keep running from one ally to another to avoid possible imprisonment and forceful deportation to Afghanistan," Khaama Press quoted an Afghan refugee as saying.

Another Afghan refugee who recently moved to France told Khaama Press that Pakistan does not give them anything other than sufferings. He called on other immigrants to follow up on their immigrant cases or otherwise, they will continuously face mistreatment, harassment and humiliation, according to Khaama Press.

The majority of Afghan refugees who are currently living in Pakistan have a migration case to one of the countries, the procedure of which has become extremely lengthy at the moment, resulting in ambiguity and hopelessness for refugees.

Earlier on June 13, the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that Pakistan has deported some 531 Afghan refugees, including women and children, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

In a tweet, the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that Afghan refugees entered Afghanistan through the Spin Boldak crossing point in Southern Kandahar province on Sunday and Monday respectively, Khaama Press reported. It further said that the refugees were introduced to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to receive necessary aid.

In the past months, Taliban officials have reported that about thousands of Afghan refugees returning to the country either forcefully or willingly from Iran and Turkey. Meanwhile, Pakistani police have arrested hundreds of Afghan nationals as they were not able to give legal stay permits (Visas) from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other major cities during the last week, the report said.

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