Afghan refugees stranded in Pakistan as hopes to move to third country fade following global policy shifts

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 24 : Hundreds of Afghan citizens remain stranded in Pakistan after their hopes of relocating to a third country were dashed due to changes in asylum policies in the United States and other nations, Geo News reported.

Many of these Afghans had previously held stable jobs in Afghanistan.

Following the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, a large number of Afghans fled to Pakistan. However, as Islamabad tightens its immigration policy, these refugees are now stuck, unable to move forward due to changes in global refugee policies.

In Islamabad's Argentina Park, nearly 300 Afghan families are living in temporary shelters. Among them is 24-year-old Samia from Baghlan city, who fled Afghanistan in February 2022 and now resides with her infant son, Daniyal, born in Pakistan.

Speaking to Geo News, she said, "We fled because our lives were at risk. Afghanistan had no future for our children, but here too, there is no place for us."

Several women who previously worked in the Afghan police are also among the displaced. Pari Noori, who served for eight years, and Shehnaz Alizadeh, with 14 years of service, said their lives were stable before the Taliban takeover but quickly deteriorated afterwards.

Noori said, "We had jobs, financial stability, and security, but everything ended." Alizadeh added that continued threats and violence under Taliban rule forced her to leave the country.

Afghans in Islamabad said they remain in a state of uncertainty, balancing hope and despair, and continue to appeal for relocation to safer countries, Geo News' report added.

Over 1.3 million Afghans hold Proof of Registration cards, while another 750,000 possess Afghan Citizen Cards. Many have resided in Pakistan since the 1980s, seeking safety from ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Pakistan directed Afghans in the southwest to leave, prompting thousands to head to the border, officials said. A deportation campaign, initially launched in 2023, was renewed in April when the government revoked hundreds of thousands of residence permits and warned of arrests for non-compliance, Geo News reported.

Since 2023, more than one million Afghans have left Pakistan, including over 200,000 since April. The campaign focused on more than 800,000 Afghans with temporary residence permits, some of whom were born or have lived in Pakistan for decades.

The repatriation effort forms part of Pakistan's Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, launched in late 2023. Meanwhile, Iran has also undertaken large-scale deportations, returning over 1.5 million Afghans across its border.

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