Thousands of Afghan refugees expelled empty-handed from Pakistan, WFP reports
Daily concerns are escalating over the situation of Afghan refugees, as thousands have been deported from Pakistan to Afghanistan empty-handed, according to the World Food Program (WFP).
A video released by WFP features an Afghan immigrant who was deported after 14 years in Pakistan. The unnamed individual lamented leaving with barely any possessions, expressing uncertainty about the future.
In November, Pakistan’s interim government initiated the deportation of over 1.7 million undocumented Afghan immigrants, marking a significant move in regional immigration policies.
The United Nations and the International Rescue Committee report that in the last two months alone, nearly half a million Afghans have been forcibly returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan Abdul Salam Hanafi highlighted during a commemoration ceremony that 800,000 Afghan refugees have been deported by Pakistan and Iran, now under the processing of the Taliban administration.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Acting Minister of Interior of the Taliban, urged for international standard treatment of Afghan immigrants, emphasizing the difficulties faced by returnees during the harsh winter months.
Amidst these deportations, Afghanistan continues to grapple with a severe humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations estimating over 29 million Afghans in need of aid.
Despite calls from human rights defenders for Pakistan to halt the forced deportations, the Pakistani government has continued its policy, disregarding these appeals.
In response to the crisis, organizations like the World Food Program and Afghanistan’s respective administrations announced aid initiatives for returning refugees, aiming to mitigate their challenges.
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