RASC News Agency: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that since September 2023, more than 825,600 Afghanistani nationals have been expelled from Pakistan under the “Illegal Foreign Nationals Repatriation Plan.” Initially introduced as a voluntary repatriation initiative, the program has progressively escalated into a large-scale forced deportation campaign, triggering widespread international alarm. According to UN data, in January 2024 alone, approximately 18,300 Afghanistani migrants returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan, with at least 1,000 subjected to involuntary deportation. In recent weeks, arrests of Afghanistani nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have surged dramatically.
Reports indicate that Pakistani security forces have been conducting indiscriminate detentions, often disregarding individuals’ legal residency status or official identification documents. Among those apprehended are individuals holding valid UN refugee certificates or Pakistani residency permits, yet they have still faced pressure from law enforcement agencies and have been transferred to detention centers. During this period, over 800 of the 1,000 forcibly expelled individuals were deported from just two cities Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Among them are a significant number of women and children, many of whom were removed without legal representation or the opportunity to appeal their deportation orders.
UN statistics reveal that in January 2024, at least 1,245 Afghanistani migrants were arrested in Pakistan a figure more than double the number recorded in January 2023. Recent trends indicate that the crackdown on Afghanistani nationals intensified markedly in the final quarter of last year, raising concerns about further escalations. The large-scale arrests and deportations have drawn condemnation from human rights organizations and international bodies. The UNHCR has voiced profound concern over the deteriorating situation of Afghanistani migrants in Pakistan and has called for an immediate cessation of arbitrary detentions and forced expulsions.
