Afghan Taliban govt urges Pakistan not to start deportation of refugees as deadline expires
The Afghan interim government under the Taliban on Tuesday called upon Islamabad not to start deportation of Afghan nationals, as the deadline for Afghan Citizenship Card (ACC) holders to voluntarily leave Pakistan expired yesterday.
The interior ministry, in a statement on March 6, had stated “All illegal foreigners and ACC holders are advised to leave the country voluntarily before 31 March 2025; thereafter, deportation will commence wef 1 April 2025.”
A report published in state-run Radio Pakistan today said that “strict legal action would now be initiated against the concerned individuals” since the specified date has passed.
UNHCR Representative to Pakistan Philippa Candler has said Pakistan hosts 1.52 million registered Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers, an estimated 800,000 Afghan citizenship holders, along with others living in the country without official recognition.
“Notably, Pakistan has announced a renewed crackdown, stating that it will deport individuals without legal residence permits, even as valid cardholders face uncertainty,” an Afghan government statement said on April 1st, according to the Afghan official Bakhtar news agency.
Afghan Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, has urged neighbouring countries (Pakistan and Iran) to halt planned deportations and allow Afghans to return home voluntarily.
“He emphasised the importance of humane treatment for refugees, especially in light of reports of mistreatment of Afghans by border nations, including instances where individuals holding legal visas were also deported,” Bakhtar reported.
Senior officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have recommended to the federal government to postpone the repatriation process until April 10 in view of the Eid holidays. There has been no indication from the interior ministry that this suggestion would be accepted.
Jawad Shinwari, a correspondent in Khyber tribal district told Dawn.com that refugee camps established by authorities at Landi Kotal are currently closed and there was no movement as of this afternoon.
A meeting of the Provincial Steering Committee on Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation plan (ACC holders) was briefed on the repatriation process and requirements, according to the minutes seen by Dawn.com.
“All the participants of the meeting unanimously agreed on the proposal that repatriation/deportation of ACC holders may be started from 10 April, 2025 instead of 1 April 2025 due to Eidul Fitr Holidays,” according to the minutes of the March 17 meeting.
The meeting, presided over by the additional chief secretary, home and TAs Department, also discussed funding that will be required for the repatriation process.
“Repatriation/deportation of ACC holders comes under the domain of the federal government. Therefore the provincial government, KP may be granted funds/financial support for the repatriation of ACC holders,” according to the minutes.
The meeting decided that the home department will move a summary to the KP chief minister for clarity on repatriation.
There is no word from the KP and federal governments whether the funding issue has been resolved.
The Interior Ministry says the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program (IFRP) is being implemented from 1 November 2023. “In continuation to the Government’s decision to repatriate all illegal foreigners, national leadership has now decided to also repatriate ACC holders,” the March 6 statement had stated.
Under the IFRP, over 700,000 undocumented Afghans have already left Pakistan since the process was launched in Nov 2023.
Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, in a meeting with Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq in Kabul on March 22, had asked Pakistan to give more time to the ACC holders as repatriation of so many people could create difficulties for his government.