Forced Repatriation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan Sparks Humanitarian Crisis

Kokcha News Agency – At the Torkham border, where Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa meets Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province, tens of thousands of Afghan families are returning to a homeland many fled decades ago—or have never seen. This mass exodus is not one of hope but of forced return, driven by Pakistan’s renewed Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.

Since late 2023, Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on undocumented Afghan refugees, with over 144,000 Afghans crossing back into Afghanistan in April alone—nearly 30,000 of them deported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive has extended enforcement to major urban centers like Islamabad and Rawalpindi, where police raids have led to the detention and deportation of Afghan families, often without legal recourse.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned these actions as forced repatriation, a practice inconsistent with international law. Vulnerable groups—women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and those at risk due to their professions—are disproportionately affected. Former senator Farhatullah Babar has emphasized that Pakistan’s lack of domestic refugee legislation does not absolve it of its obligations under the tripartite agreement with Afghanistan and the UNHCR.

Impact on Afghan Girls:
Afghan girls born and raised in Pakistan, many of whom have never set foot in Afghanistan, are being sent to a country where the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education has created the only nation in the world enforcing such a prohibition. Safiya Aftab, Executive Director of Verso Consulting in Islamabad, called the policy “heartless,” particularly for girls.

Crisis in Afghanistan:
Returnees arrive in a country already grappling with economic collapse, climate disasters, and humanitarian emergencies. The Taliban authorities, offering only limited support, are under severe strain. Tent settlements like Moye Mubarak in Nangarhar now shelter families such as Mohammad’s, a former sports trainer in Pakistan who struggles to provide food for his children.

Strained Relations:
The deportations have also strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul. Afghan officials accuse Pakistan of using refugees as leverage, while Taliban Acting Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund has urged an end to what he called a “cruel attitude.”

Economic Repercussions:
Critics warn of the policy’s economic fallout. Afghan refugees have long contributed to informal labor markets in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and their sudden removal risks shrinking these already fragile economies. PTI’s Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif has cautioned against targeting legal Afghan residents, warning that such actions could “foment hatred, misunderstanding, and mistrust.”

UNHCR’s Concerns:
The UNHCR has urged Pakistan to halt the forced return of Afghan refugees, especially Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders, stating that such actions contravene the principle of non-refoulement—a key standard of international refugee protection. UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch expressed deep concern for women and girls being sent to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where rights and freedoms are severely restricted.