Daijiworld Media Network - Islamabad
Islamabad, Apr 23: With the April 30 deadline nearing for the expulsion of undocumented Afghan nationals and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that more than 100,000 Afghans have already returned to their homeland.
“During the first three weeks of April, 100,529 Afghans have left the country,” stated the Interior Ministry. This mass exodus marks the second phase of Islamabad’s repatriation drive, which initially began in 2023 targeting illegal and undocumented Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan for decades.
Under the ongoing second phase, Pakistani authorities have also included ACC holders in the expulsion list. A deadline of March 31 was earlier set for voluntary return, followed by an ultimatum to leave by April 30. Since then, convoys carrying Afghan families are being witnessed daily heading towards the Torkham border.
The move has sparked widespread concern and emotional distress. Many Afghans, especially those born and raised in Pakistan, claim to have never seen Afghanistan.
“I was born in Pakistan and have never been to Afghanistan. I was afraid the police might humiliate me and my family. Now we're heading back out of sheer helplessness,” said Allah Rahman, a 27-year-old Afghan national.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), while some are returning voluntarily, the number of arrests and detentions has significantly increased. The UN agency reported 12,948 arrests and detentions of Afghan nationals in Pakistan so far in 2024.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan has condemned the alleged mistreatment of its citizens and urged Pakistan to ensure a “dignified return” for Afghan refugees. The issue was raised during the recent Kabul visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who met Afghanistan’s Prime Minister Hasan Akhund.
The UNHCR has raised serious concerns about the fate of deported Afghan women and children, noting that over half of those forced to return fall into this vulnerable category. It also highlighted that in Afghanistan, education beyond secondary school remains inaccessible for many, particularly girls.