Govt aims to expel Illegal Afghans in a year

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan expects that the process to repatriate an estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghans will complete in a year as the government is in no mood to review its decision.

After the expiry of the deadline for all such illegal migrants, authorities have stepped up their drive to deport undocumented Afghans. The number of Afghans who have left the country so far is more than 200,000.

A senior government official explained that the policy to evict all illegal migrants irrespective of their nationality was in the making for over a year.

“It was wrong to link the current decision with the TTP or its relationship with the Afghan government,” the official insisted, dispelling the impression that Pakistan was using this as a leverage to put pressure on Kabul.

Pakistan believes that at least those who don’t have legal documents must return to their homeland.

The official clarified that those Afghans who have proof of residence and Afghan citizenship card need not worry. “But how can we allow anyone who doesn't have any identity,” the official asked.

The official was of the view that Pakistan had a one year timeline in its mind to complete the process of repatriation of all undocumented Afghans.
The UN and other human rights organisations have raised concerns over Pakistan’s policy. The Kabul government too criticised Islamabad, demanding it must stop “harassing” its nationals.

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However, the official strongly rejected the allegations of mistreatment, saying Pakistan exempted women and children from biometric requirements for their repatriation.

The official further said that authorities were directed to treat all those returning Afghans with “honour and dignity”.

About the issue of Afghan nationals, who are eligible for resettlement in the US, the official said Pakistan was ready to facilitate friendly countries. However, he lamented that Pakistan was shared the list of such Afghans on the last day of the deadline.

Pakistan as a goodwill gesture on the request of the US and other Western countries agreed to allow certain Afghan nationals to stay in Pakistan before their settlement in other countries.

Pakistan was assured at the time that their cases would be expedited but no progress was made despite a lapse of over two years.

Washington earlier shared a list of 25,000 Afghan nationals, who are eligible for asylum or settlement in the US. However, Pakistan found the list “incomplete and flawed”.

On Friday, a US official said the US was in close and constant contact with the government of Pakistan on the safety of individuals in the US pipelines.

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“Our key concern is the safety of vulnerable and at-risk individuals. It is in both our countries’ interest to ensure the safe and efficient resettlement of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers,” the official added.

The official confirmed that the US shared a list with the government of Pakistan of Afghan individuals in the US resettlement and relocation pipelines and sent those letters to those individuals that they can share with local authorities to help identify them as individuals in the US pipeline.

On Pakistan’s view that the list was incomplete, the official said for “privacy and security reasons”, the United States shared only what was necessary to ensure that individuals applying to resettle in the US were not deported from Pakistan and were able to depart Pakistan to resettle in the US.

“We have a mutual interest in working constructively with the Government of Pakistan to protect vulnerable Afghans and facilitate safe and efficient resettlement and relocation to the United States. We are in constant communication with the Government of Pakistan and it is our desire to work through any issues or concerns with them,” the official said.