ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to repatriate all the Afghan refugees residing in the country illegally in a major policy decision which is seen in the context of ongoing tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
Local media quoted official sources to state that the caretaker federal cabinet, through a circulation summary, approved the decision to send back as many as 1.1m Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan illegally. However, the interim government didn’t confirm the move yet.
The sources indicated that around 400,000 Afghans had entered Pakistan illegally since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, with an additional 700,000 Afghans identified as living in Pakistan without legal status.
The cabinet’s decision grants authorities the authority to make arrangements for the repatriation of these Afghan refugees to their homeland.
According to sources, these 1.1 million Afghan refugees neither possess valid visas nor any other legitimate documents allowing them to stay in Pakistan.
Furthermore, it is claimed that a significant number of these illegal refugees have been involved in anti-state and criminal activities, reinforcing the urgency of their deportation.
Sources have also indicated that the Afghan Taliban government has been informed about Pakistan’s decision. Islamabad has hosted millions of refugees for decades, with a peak population of approximately five million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan at one point.
However, official records indicate that the number of individuals possessing valid refugee cards is significantly lower.
This crackdown against illegal Afghan refugees takes place amid simmering tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly concerning the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Some observers speculate that Pakistan’s intensified efforts to address illegal Afghan refugees may be linked to the Afghan Taliban’s perceived reluctance to crack down on the TTP.
Pakistan has repeatedly called upon the Afghan Taliban to take action against the TTP, but progress has been limited. A recent Pakistani delegation led by special envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Durrani visited Kabul to press the Taliban government on this issue.
While the Afghan Taliban pledged to take tangible steps to neutralize the TTP threat, Pakistani officials remain skeptical due to previous unfulfilled commitments by the Afghan Taliban.
It’s important to note that Pakistan’s decision to repatriate illegal Afghan refugees is likely to evoke a response from the Afghan Taliban government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as the UNHCR is against the policy of forced repatriation of refugees.
