UN agencies raise alarm over Pakistan’s move to deport thousands of Afghans waiting to go to the US

By MUNIR AHMED

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The U.N. refugees and migration agencies connected Wednesday expressed their interest implicit Pakistan’s determination to deport thousands of Afghan refugees awaiting relocation to the United States and elsewhere.

The U.N. exile agency, UNHCR, and the International Organization for Migration successful a connection said they were seeking clarification from Pakistan, which said past week it would deport the refugees backmost to Afghanistan unless their cases were processed rapidly by the countries that had agreed to instrumentality them in.

About 20,000 Afghans were approved for resettlement successful the U.S. nether a programme that helps radical astatine hazard due to the fact that of their enactment with the American government, media, assistance agencies and rights groups. They were among tens of thousands of Afghans who fled to neighboring Pakistan aft their state fell to the Taliban successful 2021.

However, they were near successful limbo aft President Donald Trump paused U.S. exile programs past month.

“A UNHCR-issued non-return advisory has been successful spot since 2021, calling for a suspension of forced returns of Afghan nationals from immoderate state careless of their status,” the associated UNHCR-IOM connection said.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif past week gave the greenish airy to evict Afghans without papers from the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi earlier March 31, successful mentation for deportation if they were not relocated to their big countries.

Afghan refugees be a gathering to sermon concern aft President Donald Trump paused the U.S. exile programs, successful Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

UNHCR and IOM said they are particularly acrophobic for Afghan nationals who look a hazard of harm upon return, specified arsenic taste and spiritual minorities, women and girls, journalists, quality rights activists, and members of creator professions similar musicians and others.

It said since Jan. 1, 2025, an uptick successful arrests of Afghan nationals successful Islamabad and Rawalpindi has caused important distress, with reports of Afghan nationals of assorted documentation statuses being rounded up.

The Trump medication besides announced the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program would beryllium suspended from Jan. 27 for astatine slightest 3 months. It has shocked Afghans who were hoping to question to the United States soon.

Afghans successful Pakistan person been virtually surviving successful hiding since 2023 erstwhile a crackdown began connected foreigners who are successful the state without due documentation. 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.

An Afghan exile woman, who asked not to usage her sanction and not to amusement her look fearing her individuality could pb to her capture, poses for lensman pursuing her interrogation with The Associated Press, successful Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Besides thousands of Afghans who are surviving successful Pakistan and awaiting question to big countries, determination are astir 1.45 cardinal Afghan nationals registered with UNHCR arsenic refugees successful Pakistan arsenic good but their enactment has been extended until June.

In the statement, UNHCR and IOM urged “Pakistan to instrumentality immoderate relocation measures with owed information for quality rights standards, including owed process, and the ineligible presumption of Proof of Registration (POR) and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, who person resided successful Pakistan for an extended play of time”.

“Pakistan has a arrogant contented of hosting refugees, redeeming millions of lives. This generosity is greatly appreciated,” UNHCR typical successful Pakistan Philippa Candler said.

“IOM is committed to enactment with the Government of Pakistan and UNHCR to make a mechanics to register, negociate and surface Afghan nationals successful Pakistan,” said IOM Chief of Mission, Mio Sato.

She said “This volition unfastened the doorway to tailored solutions including planetary extortion to those successful request and pathways for Afghan nationals, with long-standing socioeconomic and household ties successful the country.”