ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced on Wednesday that the second phase of the repatriation of Afghan refugees will soon begin, adding that no one will be permitted to remain in the nation without proper documentation.
This was disclosed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in a meeting with a UN delegation headed by Indrika Ratwatte, Special Representative for Afghanistan.
Pakistan began the deportation campaign last year in response to an increase in suicide attacks, which the government of Pakistan claims were committed by citizens of Afghanistan. Islamabad also accused them of additional crimes, including militant brutality and smuggling.
Mr. Naqvi emphasized the importance of the UN and the international community’s participation in the rehabilitation of Afghan refugees while extending a warm welcome to the UN delegation at the Ministry of Interior.
According to the minister, Pakistan is the nation most impacted by terrorism, which is a worldwide problem. He emphasized that in the fight against terrorism, Pakistan’s citizens, police, and security services have made unmatched sacrifices.
He told the UN delegation that the terrorist acts in Pakistan were being carried out by the TTP, which is now outlawed. Head of the UN mission in Afghanistan Malick Ceesay, Special Assistant to the DSRSG Fady El Meouchy, and UN Resident Coordinator Mohamed Yahya were among the delegation members.
According to Mr. Naqvi, these attacks on Afghan soil by the outlawed TTP must end.
According to him, Pakistan is doing everything it can to facilitate Afghanistan’s transition to peace and stability.
He stated that Pakistan has been providing asylum to Afghan refugees for many years and that the process of gradually repatriating illegal aliens has already begun.
The minister gave the team the assurance that those in possession of legal documents would face no consequences.
Regarding the Doha dialogue and Afghan refugees, Ratwatte commended Pakistan’s involvement. According to him, the UN and the Afghan government are collaborating closely to ensure the long-term rehabilitation of Afghan refugees.
The recent terrorist assaults in Balochistan were denounced by the UN special envoy.
According to an official, those Afghan citizens who were granted Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs) will return home when the campaign to remove foreign nationals moves into its second phase.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reports that 2.18 million Afghan refugees with valid visas are residing in Pakistan.
This comprises the 1.3 million refugees who, according to the 2006–07 census, possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and the extra 880,000 refugees who obtained ACCs as a result of a registration campaign in 2017.
Concerned Afghans poured back into Pakistan when the Taliban took control again in August 2021. Between 600,000 and 800,000 people are listed by officials, some of whom have legal travel credentials but an uncertain future.
In November of last year, Pakistan began the first wave of “undocumented aliens” being repatriated.
awaiting move-in
The Foreign Office revealed last month that at least 44,000 Afghans who had been granted permission to go to western countries after the Taliban retook power were still waiting in Pakistan and that these nations should get the migration process along more quickly.
Of those awaiting relocation, 25,000 Afghans have been given approval to relocate to the United States. Australia has taken 9,000 Afghans living in Pakistan; Canada has accepted 6,000; Germany has accepted 3,000; and Britain has admitted over 1,000.
The FO spokesperson had told reporters, “We have urged them to expedite the approval and visa issuance process for these countries for these individuals, so that they are relocated as soon as possible.”
In addition, last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif brought up the issue of the backlog of Afghans awaiting relocation and the sizable number of refugees who have come without any intention of continuing their journey with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
The majority of migrants are Afghans; many arrived after the Taliban seized control of Kabul in 2021, but many had been in the country since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
Phase one of the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” was announced by Pakistan in October 2023, giving “undocumented” foreign nationals 30 days to either depart the nation or prepare to face consequences.
It is estimated that over 500,000 Afghans were banished at this time.
Afghans with ACCs will be forced to leave during phase two, and anyone with Proof of Registration (PoR) cards given by the UNHCR are anticipated to be the target of phase three.
