KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistani authorities have deported scores of Afghan nationals amid an intensifying crackdown on refugees in several cities.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation announced that 84 Afghan citizens have been released from Haji Camp prison and subsequently deported to Afghanistan on Monday, February 10, via the Torkham border.
The ministry stated that they had been detained in various cities across Pakistan due to a lack of legal documents and were held at Haji Camp for periods ranging from two days to a month.
The group includes 11 families with 44 members, along with 40 other individuals.
Since January, arrests of Afghan nationals in cities like Islamabad and Rawalpindi have surged, with reports indicating that individuals have been detained regardless of their documentation status.
The crackdown has fueled fear and distress among Afghan refugees, many of whom have been in hiding since Pakistan began mass deportations of “illegal immigrants” in November 2023.
Since then, Pakistan has deported over 800,000 Afghans.
Rights groups have urged Pakistan to reconsider its forced deportation policy of refugees regardless of their legal status, due to the risks they may face upon return.
