Pakistan shuts Afghan schools ahead of deportations
In Pakistan, schools teaching Afghan children have started closing their doors as families go into hiding to avoid deportation before the looming deadline set by Islamabad.
The Pakistani government has initiated an extensive crackdown on the estimated 1.7 million Afghans residing in the country without legal status, and it has given them until Wednesday to leave or face mass arrests.
This development is particularly distressing for Afghan girls in Pakistan, as the closure of schools may mark the end of their education for the foreseeable future. Many of them face the prospect of being compelled to return to Afghanistan, where the Taliban government prohibits them from accessing secondary education.
Sixteen-year-old Nargis Rezaei, along with her family, sought refuge in Pakistan in August 2021 when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and said: “We came here to be educated, to have a good life.”
She stated, “Not every Afghan wants to return to Afghanistan, especially girls who have minimal freedom there.”
Five schools in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, which had been providing education to around 2,000 Afghan students in their native language, are set to temporarily close their doors following Monday’s classes, as reported by India today. In.
The situation is especially dire for Afghan girls in Pakistan. They face the distressing prospect of being forced to return to Afghanistan, where the Taliban government restricts their access to secondary education.
Fears of deportation have gripped Afghan families in Pakistan, leading to a significant drop in school attendance and a subsequent two-thirds decrease in enrollment, ultimately resulting in the closure of these schools. The uncertain safety and future of Afghan students in Pakistan have contributed to this challenging decision.
The United Nations (UN) reports a significant influx of Afghan migrants into Pakistan since the Taliban’s takeover, with at least 600,000 individuals having crossed the border. This mass migration reflects the dire situation in Afghanistan, where many are seeking refuge and safety in neighbouring countries like Pakistan due to the uncertainty and instability following the Taliban’s resurgence.
The scale of this migration underscores the urgent need for humanitarian assistance and international support to address the needs of Afghan migrants, who are fleeing their homeland in search of security and a better future.
On Monday, Afghan migrants staged a protest outside the United Nations Human Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Islamabad, aligning their demonstration with the Pakistani government’s imminent deadline for the expulsion of undocumented migrants from the country.
The demonstrators, comprising defence lawyers, journalists, human rights activists, and individuals at risk from the Taliban, contend that the UNHCR has not adequately reviewed their cases over the past two years.
Since October, Pakistan’s interim government issued a deadline of November 1st for over 1.7 million undocumented migrants in the country to depart. The government’s stern warning implies that those who fail to comply with this ultimatum may face imprisonment and deportation. As the November 1st deadline approaches, reports reveal that a sense of fear and apprehension is intensifying among the migrant community in Pakistan.
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