Mass Deportation of Afghan Refugees Causes Disruption at Boldak Crossing
The mass deportation of Afghan refugees is causing disruptions in shipping and travel at the Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The identification and documentation process for Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan to their homeland is leading to chaos and delays at the border crossings.
Pakistan issued an order for Afghan refugees to leave the country by November 2nd, coinciding with a notable increase in attacks on the Afghan border.
While the Taliban representatives in Pakistan insisted on ID verification of deportees by Afghan consulates, Pakistan expressed concern that this procedure would exacerbate the crisis at the border.
Over the decades of conflict in Afghanistan, Pakistan has accommodated hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees. According to United Nations statistics, approximately 1.3 million Afghan citizens are registered as refugees in Pakistan, and an additional 880,000 people have received legal documents to stay in the country.
However, Pakistan's Minister of Interior, Sarfraz Bugti, claimed that another 1.7 million people are living "illegally" in Pakistan. Bugti alleged that 14 of Pakistan's 24 suicide bombings that year were carried out by Afghan citizens, stating, "There is no doubt that we are being attacked from inside Afghanistan, and Afghan nationals are involved in attacks against us. We have evidence."
Simultaneously, the United Nations has warned about the repercussions of the deportation decision, highlighting that many Afghan families forced to leave Pakistan lack a home to return to and will face difficulties providing for themselves during the winter.
Protests against the Pakistani interim government's decision to restrict movement without visas and passports at the Chaman region's border crossings in Balochistan have erupted.
Thousands of protesters, including businessmen, employees, and members of various parties, have closed a main highway and staged an indefinite sit-in, blocking the route from Quetta to Chaman.
The recent stringent measures have halted commercial exchange and trade, affecting the livelihoods of those in the border area.
