RASC News Agency: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has raised concerns over Pakistan’s forced deportation of Afghanistanis, highlighting the potential long-term damage to the future prospects of deported families’ children. On May 9, the IOM warned that Afghanistani children living in Pakistan are exposed to significant risks, such as detention, perilous border crossings, and restricted access to education.
According to statistics from the IOM and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan, more than 550,000 Afghanistanis have been forcibly removed to Afghanistan since deportations began in September last year through the end of April. Reports indicate that over 31,000 Afghanistanis were detained in Pakistan during this period.
The IOM cautions that these refugees and migrants in Pakistan are vulnerable to a host of dangers, including detention, mistreatment, and separation from their families. The organization points out that Afghanistan is already grappling with six million internally displaced persons and widespread human rights abuses. The deportation of Afghanistani migrants from Pakistan exacerbates these challenges, with particularly severe implications for women and girls.
The IOM stresses that Afghanistani children are missing out on education and are at risk of forced labor, human trafficking, and exploitation as deportations persist.
