RASC News Agency: As concerns grow over the reports of harassment, abuse, detention, and destruction of property of Afghanistani migrants during their expulsion from Pakistan, Volker Turk, the UN Assistant High Commissioner for Human Rights, has expressed concern about the situation and the process of expelling these migrants. Turk made these remarks on Thursday, November 16th, stating that many migrants who are being returned to Afghanistan with limited financial resources are forced to pay bribes or have their assets seized.
He emphasized that Pakistan should support Afghanistani migrants who face threats upon their return to their country and protect those who would face irreparable harm, such as torture, ill-treatment, or other abuses, based on the principle of non-refoulement. According to Turk, Afghanistani women, girls, former government officials, security forces, ethnic and religious minorities, human rights defenders, civil society activists, and media personnel are among those who have sought refuge in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and now face these threats.
This comes after Amnesty International also stated earlier that forced expulsion could lead to serious risks of harassment, detention, and abuse for human rights activists, protesting women, and other vulnerable groups by the Taliban. Furthermore, reports indicate that the Pakistani police have also detained Afghanistani migrants who have residency documents in the country and release them upon payment of a ransom. It is worth mentioning that, according to reports, since the deadline set by Pakistan for the expulsion of Afghanistani refugees, the Pakistani government has expelled over three hundred thousand Afghanistani migrants.
