Deportation: Over 300,000 Afghans have left Pakistan
Under pressure from mass deportations from Pakistan, more than 300,000 Afghans have now left the country. This was reported to the German Press Agency by authorities in the border regions. The figures relate to the past few weeks since the announcement at the beginning of October that refugees were to be deported. Around 4,000 people currently cross the important Torcham border crossing towards Afghanistan every day.
The Pakistani government had announced that it would deport refugees without residence status and set a deadline of November 1 for them to leave the country voluntarily. The measure is primarily aimed at Afghans from the Taliban-ruled neighboring country, who make up the largest proportion of irregular migrants in Pakistan. According to government figures, there are around 4.4 million Afghan refugees living in the country, 1.7 million of whom are without valid papers.
Officially, the government in Islamabad cites security concerns as the reason for the deportation campaign, which is taking place just a few months before the parliamentary elections in February. In addition to a severe economic crisis, Pakistan is currently struggling with a strengthening of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and also blames unregistered refugees for this. Meanwhile, human rights activists accuse the authorities of carrying out raids and arrests against Afghans who are registered in the country.
The Pakistani government's announcement of mass deportations for refugees without residence status has sparked concerns among human rights activists. These activists accuse the authorities of conducting raids and arrests against registered Afghans, despite their legal status in the country. Furthermore, this escalation of deportations is believed to be largely due to conflicts and instability in Afghanistan, which has driven many refugees to seek shelter in Pakistan.
Source: www.dpa.com
