Afghans face mass deportation from Pakistan
An Afghan refugee.—Reuters Photo
KABUL: Hundreds of thousands of Afghans face the threat of deportation back to their war-torn country from Pakistan once a deadline expires Saturday, but Kabul is crying foul over the move.
Pakistan is home to 1.7 million refugees and hundreds of thousands more unregistered migrants from its neighbour, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
But Islamabad says it cannot be expected to tolerate illegal migrants, and 400,000 undocumented Afghans in Pakistan’s northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the bulk of the Afghan community live, face the imminent prospect of removal.
The UNHCR describes the situation of Afghans in Pakistan as the “largest and most protracted refugee crisis in the world” and warned that the question of how to deal with it was becoming “increasingly politicised”.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s information minister, said law enforcement agencies have been told to compile lists of illegal Afghans and once the June 30 deadline passes, orders will be issued for their arrest, appearance in court and subsequent deportation to Afghanistan.
“No country allows illegal immigrants, how it is possible to legalise something which is illegal?” Hussain said.
“We have been accommodating Afghan immigrants for 32 years. The provincial government cannot take their burden any more. They should go back to their country.”
But Afghans are nervous about welcoming home so many jobless, impoverished people to a country where returnees have in the past struggled to find work and roofs over their heads.
The government in Kabul denied the expulsions would take place.
Afghan refugee ministry spokesman Islamuddin Jurat conceded there was a “small problem” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but said the two sides had agreed to solve the issue and give the Afghans “some legal status to stay there”.
The Afghan-Pakistani border is notoriously porous and even if the deportations were to go into effect there would be little to stop returnees going back to Pakistan.
Pakistan, where the economy is also depressed, says it cannot be expected to tolerate illegal migrants.
Hussain claimed that illegal Afghans were involved in crime, although experts have dismissed such accusations as an excuse to rid the country of the immigrants.
At the heart of the problem is deep distrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Each country blames the other for militancy, with both sides accusing the other of sheltering Taliban insurgents on either side of the border.
Pakistan has already carried out some deportations, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Between December 2010 and February 2011, some 1,400 Afghan families were sent home from Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal belt, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
It said Afghan and Pakistani officials had agreed to offer “safe and dignified repatriation” to 7,200 families, or around 50,000 people, from Pakistan, if funding can be found.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, in Kabul this month for a conference on Afghanistan’s future, stressed that Pakistan favoured voluntary returns of refugees.
“At the Chicago summit, we heard how the situation is improving in Afghanistan. If that is the case, then voluntary return should be natural,” said Khar.
But the prospects for Afghans returning home are grim. Apart from the 10-year Taliban insurgency, they face trying to support themselves in a weak economy that is likely to suffer further when Nato forces leave by the end of 2014.
“Afghanistan doesn’t have the capacity to absorb so many people. It doesn’t have the resources in terms of schools, clinics and especially jobs,” said IOM spokeswoman Aanchal Khuranaa.
Since the US-led invasion in 2001, around 5.7 million Afghan refugees have returned to their home country, many living in destitution.
Afghanistan remains the world’s biggest producer of refugees, the UNHCR said last week, putting their number at 2.7 million.
“The gradual return of an estimated 2.4 million undocumented Afghans from Iran and Pakistan will pose serious challenges,” said IOM Afghanistan country director Marco Boasso.
The UNHCR’s strategy for Afghan refugees in 2002 was the biggest mistake the organisation ever made, Peter Nicolaus, the body’s head in Afghanistan admitted in December.
He said the international community had failed to help returnees find a means of earning a living and therefore reintegrating into society.
they always liked India more then Pakistan they are pro India in Pakistan we have only mess because of them we have about 2 million refugees which European country has got 2 million refugees,they are making bomb blasts and lot of harm to our society and they dont want to live in peace(for centuries)let them go back home and do what they want but in Afghanistan not in Pakistan
Pakistan is not cooperating with UNHCR. In return all Pakistanis living in other countries should repatriate and their dual nationalities must be cancelled.
illegal Afghans should send back to their home land so they start building their country and take responsibilites of their nationality.
Pakistan is not responsible for the Afghan war take them to India
It beats reasoning as to why Afghans can't stay in AkPak?
Illegal immigrants go back to their country. No arguments here. Pakistan does not bear the responsibility of hosting them and it is Afghanistan's duty to take care of them by whatever means thay can. It is their problem.
These Afghan refugees are common mass of Afghanistan,they are not political parties or war lords,they are men, women,and children,young and old,for God sake be kind to them,UN,ISAF,should help Pakistan Govt.to accomodate them in shelters,and provide them with food,clothig and medicine.Oil rich middle eastern countries should provide all the funds needed.
Pakistan has been for the last 30+years
Where are the Talibans now? Why don't they use their resources rebuild Afghanistan? They claim to be the "Saviour's of Islam" conducting wars on the name of Islam. Why don't they feel for the suffering followers of Islam in whose injured hearts echoes, "Allah Akabar".
All the data should be verified through NADRA proper planning and check can ensure the correct running of the process and no political motive. Legal procedure is same for everyone and the need of hour is to have close watch and monitoring of all people in neighboring and vulnerable areas
Send these people to india and us, they should welcome them if they are really want to rebuild Afghanistan
send them all to USA and EU countries (NATO countries)
Afghans Refugees in Pakistan must be send to their great friend & partner India, which is always ready to help the Afghans, I congratulate India who are going to be the host to these Afghans
Thesemrefugees are people likeyou and me they should be helped to go back and settle in their own country.This is the duty of the UNO to see that it is done.
pakistan is responsible for their condition. pakistan supported taliban. pak uae and saudi arabia were only thee countries who recognised taliban govt. in afghanistan. usa and pakistan played dirty game in afghan . i agree pak leader are bad but normal pakistani people should admit it. pak was openly close ally of taliban in war before it was threatned by usa to not to do so
Singh ji you forgot that Taliban(extreme religious fighters) were created by US to fight soviets during the war. Bottom line isvUS and Afghan keep saying that things have gotten better in Afghanistan and India is keen on helping it rebuild. So Afghan you should go back to the country where things have gotten so better that NATO is taking about leaving. And India while trying to built Aghanistan should also know how many people they need to help.
Pakistan is not responsible for the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan in 1979. In fact, the Soviets were invited by the Communist government in Kabul.
These aren't refugees from the Taliban, they've been here since 1979! Between 1989 and 1996, when there was no Taliban, why didn't they go home? Because they're not refugees from the Taliban, they are just economic migrants.
Mr singh you should not bring political history in this human crisis and dont try to be on moral high grounds afterall In 1979, India was one of the few countries to support the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and then kept on supporting northern alliance which has been as destructive as taliban in creating havoc in afghanistan.
i believe afghan are an extra problem in Pakistan and in particular in KP and Balochistan,, as uncontrolled and undocumented refugees they pose a threat to the security and stability of Pakistan. they have been using fake Pakistan ID and Passport and bring a bad image of Pakistan in the rest of the world. moreover after 32 years of our scarifies they still favour our enemy India, they should have been sent many years ago.
It is unfortunate that such comments were made. We must continue to work for their honourable return to their country. We must not convey them a message of hostility.
Well as a human being I will be sad because there will be lot of them who will suffer but my very experience with an Afghan taxi driver was very unpleasant in 1994 in Dubai, while I took my taxi from my hotel. The guy look very Pastun and in a friendly way I said I am from Pakistan the time he heard Pakistan he was furious your Pakistan is evil and really nasty words, the best part was he was holding a Pakistani citizenship and interestingly he blamed Pakistan for the Soviet Invasion and was praising India. So my advise will be send them all to Inda because they have deep interest in Afghanistan and that way they will win the hearts of Afghans. Come on India show some humanity you are shining give some to poor Afghans too. Normally I don't comment because I don't have a Pakistani citizenship but lets be straight and give these poor people to the right country and think India is the best to take the charge.
i agreed all of you and welcomed all of your comments.
Afghans are most welcome in India.
let India and USA accomodate them we support this idea