KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, expresses concern for the rights and welfare of Afghan refugees impacted by the latest round of deportation from Pakistan.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 16, the international medical charity underscored the challenges faced by Afghan refugees impacted by Pakistan’s ongoing deportation, emphasizing the difficulties of relocating to a country already grappling with widespread poverty, insufficient health services, and heightened restrictions on women.
“For many Afghans, this ‘repatriation’ means packing up their belongings and carrying them on a horse, cart, car and bus and travelling en masse to a country that is already struggling with widespread poverty, inadequate health services and increased restrictions on women,” NSF said.
Last year in October, the Pakistan caretaker government announced a plan known as The Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), asking all undocumented immigrants including over 1.7 million Afghans to leave the country or face deportation.
Pakistani authorities claim that undocumented refugees are a major source of insecurity and illegal activities in their country. They justify the crackdown as a counter-terrorism measure, pointing to the recent surge in security incidents in the country.
Since then, according to a Pakistani media report, over 530,000 Afghan refugees, mostly women and children, have been deported to the Taliban controlled Afghanistan. Many of these refugees had initially fled Afghanistan due to retaliation by the Taliban and economic hardships.
Earlier last month, the newly elected government of Pakistan announced that it will initiate the second phase of refugee expulsions in April 15. According to Pakistani media, in this phase the country will deport Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders which were issued in 2017 and 2018 to Afghan refugees granting them legal refugee status in the country.
Médecins Sans Frontières says that the second phase of deportation puts approximately 800,000 Pakistan-issued Citizen Card holders at risk of return and harm, while phase three is anticipated to lead to the additional deportation of UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders.
Pakistani media outlet, Samaa TV, reports that within the last 10 days, at least 8,581 Afghan refugees, comprising 3,127 men, 1,972 women, and 3,482 children, have been deported from Pakistan.
The ongoing situation has triggered widespread concern among Afghan refugees in Pakistan, where some have resided for decades and built businesses. Reports indicate that Pakistani police are confiscating their properties, permitting them to transfer only around $200 with them to Afghanistan.
On the other hand, thousands of Afghans, including rights activists, women, journalists, and former government employees, fled their homeland due to security threats and Taliban reprisals. Their lives would be in grave danger if they were to return to Afghanistan.
