INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Officials in Pakistan have completed arrangements to detain and expel Afghan citizens following the March 31 deadline for their voluntary
This move is part of the country&s plan to address the growing concerns regarding the status of Afghan migrants in Pakistan.
A high-level
meeting on Friday, chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, reviewed the measures to repatriate Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders
This meeting focused on ensuring the effective execution of the government&s deadline and the logistics surrounding the return process.
Despite requests from the Afghan government and human rights organizations, Pakistani authorities have firmly rejected extending the
deadline for the return of ACC holders
The Pakistani government had initially set the deadline for the end of March, and the expulsion process will move forward as planned.
Mohsin Naqvi also revealed that Talal Chaudhry, the State Minister for Interior, would travel to the provinces to assess and address any
challenges and potential issues in the process of Afghan migrants& return.
Meanwhile, Pakistani security forces have detained at least 932
Afghan migrants in Rawalpindi, as the deadline for the expulsion of Afghan migrants with ACC cards approaches.
#8203;Human rights
organizations have strongly condemned Pakistan&s recent decision to expel Afghan refugees, labeling it a violation of international law and
a potential humanitarian crisis
They argue that many of these refugees, including human rights defenders, political activists, and victims of gender-based violence, fled
Afghanistan to escape persecution and are now at risk of facing harm if deported
​
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed deep concern over the government&s ultimatum for undocumented
immigrants to leave by March 31, warning that this could lead to a humanitarian disaster
They highlight that such forced repatriation violates international customary law and could adversely affect vulnerable groups, including
women, children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities
​
Amnesty International has called on Pakistan to halt the detentions, deportations, and harassment of Afghan refugees, emphasizing
that these actions violate the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to places where they face risks of
They stress that deporting Afghan refugees, especially women and girls, could deny them access to safety, education, and livelihoods.
Pakistan has granted Afghan migrants, both undocumented and those holding ACC cards, a deadline of March 31 to voluntarily leave the
country.
However, Pakistani officials confirmed that Afghan migrants holding &PoR& cards are not at risk of being expelled until June 30.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported a sharp decline in Afghan returns and deportations during the first
Between March 1 and 15, returns dropped by 67 per cent, while deportations fell by 50 per cent compared to the previous reporting period
(February 16-28).
The post Pakistan finalizes plans to detain and deport Afghans as deadline nears first appeared on TINS News.
