Amnesty renews call for Pakistan to halt Afghan refugee deportations
Amnesty International has urgently called on the Pakistan Government to reverse its decision to carry out forced deportations of unregistered Afghan refugees by the November 1, 2023 deadline.
Amnesty International urgently urges Pakistan to halt the forced deportation of unregistered Afghan refugees before the looming deadline, emphasizing the need to uphold international legal obligations, including cease harassment of Afghan refugees within its borders.
“Amnesty International strongly reiterates its call to the Government of Pakistan to immediately reverse its decision to forcibly deport unregistered Afghan refugees ahead of the deadline set for tomorrow. Pakistan must meet its international legal obligations, including the principle of non-refoulment and stop the crackdown against, and harassment of, Afghan refugees across the country,” Amnesty International’s Senior Director, Deprose Muchena, emphasized this call.
“Afghan refugees’ lives and rights are at stake due to the collective failure of the Pakistan Government and the international community to share the responsibility for their protection. This is simply unacceptable,” added Muchena.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has urged the international community to provide financial support to Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees and to share the responsibility of protecting those escaping persecution in Afghanistan.
The organization highlights that over 1.4 million refugees currently face the risk of being forcibly uprooted from the place they’ve sought refuge and established as their home.
“There is still time for Pakistan to act swiftly today to avoid creating a crisis where families are rendered homeless, denied access to livelihood and basic services and separated in the lead-up to the harsh winter months,” the statement said.
Amnesty International has documented harassment and sent correspondence to the Pakistani government over the past year, raising concerns about registration delays, harassment, and discrimination faced by Afghan refugees. Last week, they issued an open letter to Pakistan’s Prime Minister, urging the reversal of the decision to deport Afghan refugees to Afghanistan forcibly.
The Pakistani Interior Minister has announced that the process of collecting and deporting illegal Afghan immigrants will commence on Thursday, November 1st.
On Tuesday, Sarfaraz Bugti stated that Pakistan is not deporting refugees but emphasized that only individuals who are deemed entirely illegal will be leaving the country without providing further details.
In statements released on Tuesday, it was emphasized that the deportation process would be lengthy and gradual. Earlier this month, Islamabad had accused Afghan citizens of involvement in violence, smuggling, and crimes within Pakistan. The Taliban denied these allegations in Kabul, and human rights groups had called on Islamabad to reconsider its decision. Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has reported that the country is home to over four million Afghan immigrants, with approximately 1.7 million of them lacking proper residence
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