Pakistani police ramps up crackdown on undocumented Afghan migrants in Peshawar

Kabul, Aug 14 Several undocumented Afghan migrants have been arrested as Pakistani police ramped up operations in Peshawar on Thursday as part of a wider crackdown targetting those who do not have valid legal documentation.

Pakistani police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arrested a significant number of undocumented Afghan migrants during a security drive in Peshawar, leading Afghan news agency Khaama Press reported. Authorities claimed that they have seized weapons and narcotics from those who have been detained and pledged to continue the crackdown.

The operations conducted by police in Nasir Bagh, Kacha Garhi and Regi regions are launched as part of a wider campaign targetting undocumented Afghan nationals. Police have not revealed the exact number of Afghan refugees who have been arrested.

Over the past few months, Pakistan has ramped up arrests and forced deportations of Afghan migrants who do not have legal documentation, often carrying out house-to-house search. The effort has been expedited as visa renewals for Afghan nationals have been suspended for over a month, leaving many who were previously residing legally now undocumented and vulnerable to expulsion.

On Wednesday, the Pakistani government announced establishment of a special committee, comprising police personnel and intelligence officials, to identify and repatriate Afghans having Proof of Registration (PoR) cards. This committee will collect and share data from various agencies to find Afghan migrants and coordinate enforcement actions.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has voiced concern over Pakistan's recent decisions regarding Afghan migrants that have left thousands of them homeless. Many Afghans have claimed that they were facing threats, coercion, and mistreatment by police.

Rights activists have warned that continuation of these policies risks worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis, making Afghan refugees vulnerable to displacement and loss of livelihood.

Meanwhile, Afghan migrants have accused the local police authorities in Pakistan of harassing them by making wrongful arrests and demanding bribes for release despite having valid or pending immigration documents, Khaama Press reported on Tuesday.

Afghan people residing in Islamabad and Rawalpindi accused the Pakistani police of intensifying arrests of Afghans in recent weeks, with some detainees allegedly being released after they pay large amount of money. According to witnesses, the police personnel, often wearing plain clothes, ask for their passports and visas. If Afghans are unable to show their documents, uniformed officers reportedly come there in vehicles to arrest them.

On Monday, three Afghans arrested in Rawalpindi stated on social media that they were detained for about six hours, during which police asked them to pay money to secure their release. One of them said he paid Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 82,000 for the release while others said that they paid similar amounts.

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