Pakistan government “crackdown starting November 1… 1.4 million Afghans expected to be deported”
OHCHR “If forcibly repatriated, there is a risk of human rights violations.”
As the Pakistani government cracks down on immigrants entering the country illegally, the United Nations (UN) has voiced a warning.
According to foreign media such as Fox News and the Associated Press on the 29th (local time), the Pakistani government announced that it would establish a deportation center to detect immigrants who entered the country illegally, including Afghans. Starting November 1, anyone caught staying in Pakistan without permission will be sent to the center, and authorities plan to deport about 1.4 million people.
“Four deportation centers will be set up here (Balochistan) and one will be set up in Quetta, on the southern border with Afghanistan,” Balochistan provincial spokesman Jan Achazai said in a statement.
“More than 60,000 Afghans have returned home since the crackdown was announced,” said Azam Khan, governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
However, the United Nations is demanding that the Pakistani government suspend deportation of illegal immigrants, saying it violates human rights.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a statement, “There are currently more than 2 million undocumented Afghans living in Pakistan, and we are very surprised by Pakistan’s announcement of deportations.”
OHCHR noted that if Pakistan enforces deportation and illegal immigrants are returned to Afghanistan, they may be at risk of human rights violations, including cruel and inhumane torture and detention.
According to a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of Afghans who left Pakistan from the 3rd to the 14th was 59,780, and 78% of those returning to Afghanistan returned after leaving Pakistan. He answered that he was afraid of being arrested.
“We urge Pakistani authorities to stop forcibly repatriating Afghan nationals to prevent a human rights catastrophe,” a UN official said. “We demand that they continue to protect those in need and ensure that future repatriations are fully consistent with international law.” said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said in a press conference that “the start date of the crackdown will not be extended” and that “those detained will not be mistreated and will have access to food and medical care until they are deported.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.