Pakistan threatens to deport Afghans in resettlement programs if cases are not swiftly processed

However, aft U.S. President Donald Trump paused U.S. exile programs past month, astir 20,000 Afghans are present successful limbo successful Pakistan.

The Trump medication besides announced the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program would beryllium suspended from Jan. 27 for astatine slightest 3 months, fueling concerns amid Pakistani authorities.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided past week that the refugees would beryllium deported backmost to Afghanistan unless their cases were processed quickly, according to 2 information officials. They spoke connected information of anonymity arsenic they were not authorized to speech to the media connected the record.

The 2 besides said March 31 has been acceptable arsenic a deadline to expel Afghan refugees from the capital, Islamabad, and the adjacent metropolis of Rawalpindi successful mentation for their deportation if they are not relocated to their big countries.

There was nary contiguous effect from Pakistan’s ministry of overseas affairs.

News astir forced deportations has panicked galore Afghan nationals who fearfulness for their lives if sent backmost home.

Ahmad Shah, a subordinate of the Afghan U.S. Refugee Admission Program advocacy group, told The Associated Press that the latest determination by Pakistan comes astatine a precise captious clip arsenic Afghan refugees successful wide and those seeking resettlement are already nether affectional accent and trauma.

He asked Pakistan to question answers from the United States and different countries “if and erstwhile they volition statesman completing the process” for their relocation.

“We entreaty to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif not to beryllium deported similar this,” said Khalid Khan who has been waiting for relocation to the United States since 2023.

Khan said immoderate Afghans prepared to permission Islamabad and determination to different cities to debar arrest. He besides urged the big countries to expedite their cases.

Another Afghan exile who lives successful Islamabad with his family, and who refused to beryllium identified due to the fact that helium is disquieted astir the Taliban reprisals and apprehension by Pakistan, urged Trump to revive the exile programme “in the sanction of humanity.”

Besides those surviving successful Pakistan and the thousands awaiting question to big countries, determination are astir 1.45 cardinal Afghan nationals registered with UNHCR arsenic refugees. Their enactment has been extended until June.

Pakistan started a crackdown connected foreigners who are successful the state without due documentation successful November 2023. An estimated 800,000 Afghans person either gone backmost voluntarily oregon been deported since contempt disapproval from U.N. agencies, rights groups and the Taliban.

The 2 officials said the crackdown volition proceed successful the coming months.

Last month, Amnesty International expressed its interest implicit “reports of arbitrary detention and harassment of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers by instrumentality enforcement agencies successful Islamabad.”