Islamabad [Pakistan], July 25 (ANI): Afghan refugees in Pakistan are facing mounting fears of forced deportation and harassment following the suspension of visa extension services and the invalidation of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, Tolo News reported.
The suspension has left thousands of Afghan nationals without legal status, further intensifying the challenges they face as Pakistan continues its mass deportation campaign targeting undocumented Afghan migrants.
“Very difficult conditions have been created for all refugees in Islamabad. On one hand, arrests are happening day and night, and on the other, visa extensions have stopped. Currently, no visa or passport renewals are being processed,” said Mohammad Reza Sazesh, an Afghan resident in Pakistan.
The move follows recent statements by senior Pakistani officials announcing that PoR cards would no longer be renewed. This development has sparked panic among Afghan communities who fear they could be expelled with little notice.
“After a senior Pakistani official announced that PoR cards would no longer be extended, fear and panic spread among Afghan refugees. They can’t resolve their decades-long affairs in Pakistan within a short time,” said Atiqullah Mansoor, another Afghan refugee.
Tolo News reported that during previous waves of deportation, many Afghan nationals were forced to leave without adequate time to collect their belongings or secure personal property.
“Pakistan’s actions could lead to another humanitarian crisis, especially since other countries are beginning to follow suit,” warned Mohammad Khan Talebi Mohammadzai, a refugee rights activist.
Meanwhile, Iran has also continued deporting Afghan migrants, exacerbating the pressure on vulnerable populations across the region, Tolo News added.
The situation is further worsened by a decline in international aid for Afghan returnees, raising global concerns about deteriorating conditions within Afghanistan. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in its latest report, has highlighted the involuntary return of Afghan nationals from neighboring countries, citing serious human rights violations.
According to the report, large numbers of Afghan citizens have been forcibly repatriated from both Pakistan and Iran since 2023, with women and girls facing especially dire circumstances.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated, “Nobody should be sent back to a country where they face risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history. In Afghanistan, this is even more pronounced for women and girls, who are subjected to a range of measures that amount to persecution on the basis of their gender alone.”
Responding to Turk’s concerns, Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, denied the UN’s claims. “All returning migrants benefit from the general amnesty decree. No one faces political hostility, conflict, or retaliatory behavior from the authorities. If such cases arise, the government will investigate and take action. Minor and personal incidents have occurred in some areas, but these are not political. UNAMA should not exploit these cases to spread propaganda,” Fitrat said, according to Tolo News.
Human rights and migration experts have pointed out that both Iran and Pakistan, as signatories to various international human rights treaties, are obligated to uphold refugee protection standards. They argue that deporting Afghan migrants amid ongoing economic and humanitarian crises in Afghanistan constitutes a violation of international norms.
Mohammad Hashim Alokozai, a political analyst, told Tolo News, “It is Iran, Pakistan, and also the international community that are violating human rights. Iran and Pakistan must coordinate such deportations to ensure the migrants’ rights are not violated.”
Tolo News also reported that official sources have confirmed the forced return of over two million Afghan migrants since October 2023—a figure that has alarmed global human rights organizations and advocacy groups. (ANI)
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