Pakistan initiates the process of apprehending unregistered Afghans over impending deadline
On Wednesday, Pakistani authorities initiated the process of apprehending undocumented foreigners, primarily Afghan nationals, in preparation for the midnight deadline requiring them to depart or face expulsion.
This action began a day earlier than previously announced. According to a report from Reuters, the interior ministry reported that 140,322 individuals had already chosen to depart voluntarily after days marked by congested trucks carrying personal belongings and packed with people clogging major exit routes from the country.
Last month, Pakistan established November 1 as the commencement date for the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans, citing security concerns. This decision was made despite appeals from the United Nations, human rights organizations, and Western embassies to reconsider. Among those affected are individuals who have resided in Pakistan for several decades.
"A process to arrest the foreigners... for deportation has started as of November 1," the interior ministry said in a statement.
Shortly after the interior ministry issued its statement, authorities began detaining and relocating individuals whom they identified as undocumented foreigners to transit centers.
In Karachi, a major hub for Afghan migrants and refugees, Deputy Commissioner Junaid Iqbal Khan reported that around 74 people had been transferred to one of these transit centers, with nearly 40 of them lacking proper documentation.
Witnesses from Reuters observed police transporting individuals in police vehicles. Inside the centers, authorities had arranged tents to provide shelter for those who had been rounded up. Media personnel were not permitted entry into these facilities.
The majority of Afghan nationals were brought to the transit centers in precarious buses, and some of them were handcuffed. Some individuals voiced grievances about being mishandled by the authorities.
Out of the over 4 million Afghans residing in Pakistan, the government estimates that 1.7 million are without proper documentation.
Many of these individuals had fled Afghanistan during the country's prolonged internal conflicts, which spanned from the late 1970s. The more recent Taliban takeover following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021 prompted another wave of migration.
Pakistan has adopted a stern position, contending that Afghan nationals have been linked to militant attacks, smuggling, and various other criminal activities within the South Asian nation. In contrast, Kabul has rejected these accusations.
Meanwhile, the Taliban administration in the Afghan capital has requested that all countries hosting Afghan refugees provide them with additional time to prepare for repatriation. They urge host nations not to forcibly deport Afghans without adequate preparation and to demonstrate tolerance in their treatment. The administration has reassured Afghans leaving due to political concerns that they can return and reside peacefully in Afghanistan.
