RASC News Agency: In response to the expulsion of Afghanistani refugees from Pakistan, three UN-affiliated organizations have recently expressed their concerns about the dangerous consequences of this action. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) jointly issued a statement highlighting the potential risks to the safety and health of the deported migrants’ children and families.
These organizations emphasized that Afghanistan is currently facing a severe humanitarian crisis and human rights challenges, with a difficult winter ahead. They provided information indicating that since September 15th, approximately 160,000 Afghanistani citizens have been expelled from Pakistan and have returned to their home country. The statement further revealed that 86% of these returnees are households that entered Afghanistan as an emergency measure without receiving any assistance due to fear of apprehension.
According to the statement, expelled children are particularly vulnerable to protection risks during their departure, detention centers, border crossings, and return to Afghanistan. The organizations expressed concerns about the ongoing hardships faced by these children in their home country.
Philippa Candler, the head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, emphasized the importance of voluntary, orderly, and safe returns, with full respect for the rights of the refugees and support for those in need. Mio Sato, a representative of the International Organization for Migration, urged the Pakistani authorities not to force vulnerable individuals, including children and families, into dangerous conditions.
Despite repeated requests from international migration organizations and countries worldwide to stop the expulsion, the government of Pakistan has intensified its efforts in this regard in recent days.
