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The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Pakistan to consider extending deadline for Afghan refugees facing mass deportation
FILE PHOTO: Afghan refugees embrace each other before leaving for Afghanistan at a bus stand in Karachi on April 8, 2025. Earlier this year, Pakistan said it wanted three million Afghans to leave the country. - AFP PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistan will consider extending the deadline for 1.4 million Afghan refugees living legally in the country to return home, officials said on Monday (June 30). Any extension approved by the government would be a relief for those who were previously ordered to return to Afghanistan by June 30, according to government and security officials. A decision could come on Tuesday when the Cabinet is due to meet. In 2023, Pakistan launched a controversial crackdown on foreigners it said were in the country illegally, mostly Afghans. Millions of Afghans have fled their homeland over the decades to escape war or poverty. The officials - who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media on the record - said the proposed extension was to allow the refugees more time to settle their personal affairs in Pakistan, such as selling property or wrapping up business activities, before returning to Afghanistan in an orderly and dignified way. A senior ministry official said the decision to submit the extension proposal was made last week. A summary regarding the fate of the Afghan refugees has been forwarded for inclusion in the Cabinet agenda. The Interior Ministry, which has overseen the sweeping crackdown on Afghans, did not immediately comment. There was no comment from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which previously said it expected Afghan authorities to create "conducive conditions' so those returning were fully integrated into Afghan society. Earlier this year, Pakistan said it wanted three million Afghans to leave the country, including 1.4 million people with Proof of Registration cards and some 800,000 with Afghan Citizen Cards. There are a further one million Afghans in the country illegally because they have no paperwork, according to officials. They said Pakistan's Ministry of States and Frontier Regions submitted a proposal to the federal government recommending a six-month extension for Afghans with Proof of Registration cards. Pakistan's expulsion campaign has drawn strong criticism from the UN and rights organisations. The International Organisation for Migration said Monday that Afghanistan was not equipped to absorb such high numbers of returnees. "Local systems are on the verge of collapse, threatening access to essential services for both returnees and host communities,' the UN agency added. Human Rights Watch has accused authorities of arbitrarily detaining and forcibly deporting Afghans, many of whom, they say, face harassment under the Taliban who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. On Saturday, the UN refugee agency said at least 1.2 million Afghans have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this year. It warned that repatriations on a massive scale have the potential to destabilise the fragile situation in Afghanistan. - AP
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Pakistan to consider extending deadline for Afghan refugees facing mass deportation to leave
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan will consider extending the deadline for 1.4 million Afghan refugees living legally in the country to return home, officials said on Monday. Any extension approved by the government would be a relief for those who were previously ordered to return to Afghanistan by 30 June, according to government and security officials. A decision could come on Tuesday when the Cabinet is due to meet. In 2023, Pakistan launched a controversial crackdown on foreigners it said were in the country illegally, mostly Afghan nationals. Millions of Afghans have fled their homeland over the decades to escape war or poverty. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter, said the proposed extension was to allow the refugees more time to settle their personal affairs in Pakistan, such as selling property or wrapping up business activities, before returning to Afghanistan in an orderly and dignified way.A senior ministry official said the decision to submit the extension proposal was made last week. A summary regarding the fate of the Afghan refugees has been forwarded for inclusion in the Cabinet Interior Ministry, which has overseen the sweeping crackdown on Afghans, did not immediately was no comment either from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which previously said it expected Afghan authorities to create "conducive conditions" so that those returning were fully integrated into Afghan this year, Pakistan said it wanted 3 million Afghans to leave the country, including 1.4 million people with Proof of Registration cards and some 800,000 with Afghan Citizen are a further 1 million Afghans in the country illegally because they have no paperwork, according to said Pakistan's Ministry of States and Frontier Regions submitted a proposal to the federal government recommending a six-month extension for Afghans with Proof of Registration expulsion campaign has drawn strong criticism from the UN and rights International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that Afghanistan was not equipped to absorb such high numbers of returnees."Local systems are on the verge of collapse, threatening access to essential services for both returnees and host communities," the UN agency Rights Watch has accused authorities of arbitrarily detaining and forcibly deporting Afghans, many of whom they say, face harassment under the Taliban who seized power in Afghanistan in Saturday, the UN refugee agency said at least 1.2 million Afghans have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this warned that repatriations on a massive scale have the potential to destabilise the fragile situation in Afghanistan. — Euronews
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Pakistan considers extending deadline for Afghan refugees to leave
Pakistan will consider extending the deadline for 1.4 million Afghan refugees living legally in the country to return home, officials said on Monday. Any extension approved by the government would be a relief for those who were previously ordered to return to Afghanistan by 30 June, according to government and security officials. A decision could come on Tuesday when the Cabinet is due to meet. In 2023, Pakistan launched a controversial crackdown on foreigners it said were in the country illegally, mostly Afghan nationals. Millions of Afghans have fled their homeland over the decades to escape war or poverty. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter, said the proposed extension was to allow the refugees more time to settle their personal affairs in Pakistan, such as selling property or wrapping up business activities, before returning to Afghanistan in an orderly and dignified way. A senior ministry official said the decision to submit the extension proposal was made last week. A summary regarding the fate of the Afghan refugees has been forwarded for inclusion in the Cabinet agenda. The Interior Ministry, which has overseen the sweeping crackdown on Afghans, did not immediately comment. There was no comment either from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which previously said it expected Afghan authorities to create "conducive conditions" so that those returning were fully integrated into Afghan society. Told to leave Earlier this year, Pakistan said it wanted 3 million Afghans to leave the country, including 1.4 million people with Proof of Registration cards and some 800,000 with Afghan Citizen Cards. There are a further 1 million Afghans in the country illegally because they have no paperwork, according to officials. They said Pakistan's Ministry of States and Frontier Regions submitted a proposal to the federal government recommending a six-month extension for Afghans with Proof of Registration cards. Pakistan's expulsion campaign has drawn strong criticism from the UN and rights groups. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that Afghanistan was not equipped to absorb such high numbers of returnees. "Local systems are on the verge of collapse, threatening access to essential services for both returnees and host communities," the UN agency added. Human Rights Watch has accused authorities of arbitrarily detaining and forcibly deporting Afghans, many of whom they say, face harassment under the Taliban who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. On Saturday, the UN refugee agency said at least 1.2 million Afghans have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this year. It warned that repatriations on a massive scale have the potential to destabilise the fragile situation in Afghanistan.
Business Recorder
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
World Refugee Day: 123m people worldwide forcibly displaced
ISLAMABAD: As of the end of 2024, some 123 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to conflict, persecution, and violence. This includes 42.7 million refugees and others in need of international protection. This means one in every 67 people on the planet is displaced, said UN Refugee Agency-UNHCR on the occasion of World Refugee Day on Friday. UNHCR Pakistan stands in solidarity with millions of people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and violence. This year's theme, 'Solidarity with Refugees,' is a call to action to ensure compassion, support, and inclusion for displaced populations, said the UNHCR Spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi in a statement. Pakistan continues to demonstrate remarkable generosity and hospitality, currently hosting over 2.35 million Afghan refugees including Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders and others in need of protection, he added. While displacement globally continues to rise due to ongoing conflicts across the world, humanitarian funding is stagnating and, in some cases, declining. Philippa Candler, UNHCR Representative in Pakistan said, 'As we mark World Refugee Day, a moment to honour the courage and strength of refugees across the globe, we also reflect on their stories of loss and pain. Sadly, in many parts of the world, the right to asylum is under threat. Tougher and more restrictive policies are making it harder for people fleeing war, violence and persecution to find safety. In difficult moments like these, we need more than ever to stand in solidarity with refugees.' Candler appreciated and acknowledged the people of Pakistan and its government for generously hosting Afghan refugees for decades. She said that UNHCR remains committed to working with the Government of Pakistan to find long-term solutions - through return, resettlement, and alternative legal pathways, and to protect those who continue to need asylum. The UNHCR Representative said that Pakistan is contributing to the global refugee cause at a time when we are witnessing shrinking asylum space worldwide. 'We urge Pakistan to continue its support for displaced people, and call on the international community to match this commitment with solidarity and resources,' she said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hans India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
1.3 million Afghan nationals deported from Pakistan since November
As part of the ongoing campaign to deport illegal and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders from Pakistan, the government has repatriated about 1.3 million Afghan nationals since November 2023, Pakistan's Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmed Malik said during a meeting. The parliamentary committee overseeing the repatriation drive was informed that the government targetted illegal Afghan nationals living in the country, allowing them the opportunity to leave voluntarily, adding that a parallel operation was launched to crackdown against those who were still present after the deadline of March 31 expired. The committee was told that a warning was issued to all illegal Afghan nationals that they would be deported after the deadline ends. Moreover, the government later on decided to also deport those Afghan nationals who were in possession of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC), thus expanding the domain of the expulsion campaign by the government. Launched in 2017, the ACC grants temporary legal status to Afghan refugees. "There are at least three million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan. Of these, 813,000 hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) while 1.3 million possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards," said Mukhtar Ahmed Malik. "Those Afghans who wish to enter Pakistan for medical treatment, education, or business purposes are welcome to do so provided they obtain a Pakistani visa and carry valid documentation with them," he added. On the other hand, there are thousands of Afghan families in Pakistan, who do not wish to go back to Afghanistan, and are demanding the Pakistan government to reconsider their deportation. "I was born in Pakistan, married in Pakistan, have kids in Pakistan. We do not know anything about Afghanistan. My father brought me here when I was a five-year-old. Since then, we are living here," said Rahimullah, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan. "Now, they want us to leave. I ask them, where would we go and what would our children do there? Do they have a future there? We want to request the Pakistan government to reconsider for the sake of the future of our children," he added. Pakistan has been home to over 2.8 million Afghan refugees for over 40 years. However, the deportation drive to expel Afghan nationals from the country began after Islamabad blamed the Afghan Taliban interim government in Kabul for cross-border terrorism supporting and supporting anti-Pakistan groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). As tensions simmered, Pakistan has made it clear that it would not host Afghan nationals in the country anymore.
