Ignoring humanitarian calls, Pakistan starts detaining Afghan migrants

Islamabad, Sep 3 (IANS) Pakistan has started detaining Afghan migrants after the expiration of their residency permits even as severe congestion has been reported at border points like Torkham from where Afghans have been trying to leave Pakistan, local media reported on Wednesday.

Pakistan's Interior Ministry has issued orders to arrest and deport Afghan migrants as their residency permits expired at the start of this week. Pakistani authorities have asked law enforcement agencies to provide daily updates regarding the detentions of Afghan nationals, leading Afghan news agency Khaama Press reported.

Police teams have been deployed to find and apprehend undocumented Afghan migrants. Local police said that search operations are being conducted in Rawalpindi and several Afghans have already been arrested.

Pakistan has continued to enforce its plan to deport approximately 1.4 million Afghans who have Proof of Registration (PoR) cards despite several international organisations making repeated requests to halt deportations. Apart from PoR holders, around 800,000 Afghans with Afghan citizenship cards, who live in Pakistan illegally, also face deportation, according to the officials.

Pakistan's crackdown on Afghan migrants comes amid rising concerns regarding overcrowding at key border points. On Monday, reports claimed that there was congestion at the Torkham border as migrants tried to leave Pakistan.

Humanitarian experts have warned that mass deportations may result in Afghan families facing heightened risks, including economic hardship, social instability, and potential exploitation along the border. International agencies have been calling on Pakistan and Afghanistan to hold talks in order to ensure the safe and humane treatment of Afghan migrants.

Earlier in August, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior announced that the repatriation of Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards who do not opt to return voluntarily will start on September 1.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting considering rising security concerns and pressure on national resources. In the notification, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior said that the ongoing repatriation process for Afghan Citizen Card holders will start as per the earlier decision taken by the Interim Framework for the Return Process (IFRP), Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported.

Pakistan's Ministry of Interior had said that it will collaborate with relevant international agencies, including the Taliban-led interim government, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and others to facilitate the repatriation of Afghan refugees

--IANS

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