Pakistan reports over 1.5 million Afghans returned since 2023 repatriation drive - As-salamu alaykum
As-salamu alaykum - Pakistan says it has sent back more than 1.5 million Afghan citizens since the November 2023 repatriation effort, state media reported this week.
The government started a nationwide effort in November 2023 aimed at foreign nationals without proper paperwork. Officials had said they would first focus on people with no legal documentation and later address other groups, including holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC), a temporary status document introduced in 2017.
Earlier this year, the interior ministry told “illegal foreigners” and ACC holders to leave Pakistan by March 31 or face deportation from April 1. Authorities then began removing thousands of Afghan nationals from various parts of the country.
Radio Pakistan said on Saturday that “repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland continues in a dignified manner,” and gave a figure of about 1,560,000 Afghans returned so far. The broadcaster also reported that Pakistan reopened the Torkham border crossing to allow people to go back to Afghanistan.
The border had been closed last month after deadly clashes along the frontier left many killed and wounded. Islamabad has said Afghans who need to enter Pakistan for medical care, education, or business are welcome if they have a Pakistani visa and valid documents.
Over the decades, Pakistan has hosted around 2.8 million Afghan refugees who fled conflict in their country. The repatriation drive began after a rise in suicide attacks and militant incidents that Pakistani authorities said involved Afghan nationals, though they did not publicly present evidence.
Human rights groups, both local and international, have accused Pakistani authorities of mistreating Afghans and conducting forced returns. The Afghan authorities have likewise urged Pakistan to let its citizens return with dignity. Pakistani officials deny these harassment claims, saying the process follows legal procedures and that crossings are allowed only after document checks.
Radio Pakistan added that the Frontier Corps and local administration are providing food and temporary shelter arrangements for those returning.
May Allah make ease for those affected and grant safety and dignity to all displaced families.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/