Full scale crackdown on illegal aliens launched in Peshawar

More than 317,000 individuals return to Afghanistan

PESHAWAR:

A full-scale crackdown has been launched against the illegal foreigners residing in Peshawar and a special holding camp has been established for the purpose in the Nasir Bagh area on the outskirts of the city.

Official sources told The Express Tribune that undocumented Afghans are being rounded up and shifted to the holding centre known as Juma Khan Holding Center from where they were being deported.

“So far hundreds of Afghans have been arrested and shifted to the centre. The operation will continue on a daily basis henceforth,” said an official, adding that district administration, police and other relevant departments have been directed to speed up their crackdown.

Read Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan in 'very bad condition,' says UN official

The ongoing repatriation efforts of illegal foreigners in Pakistan have seen a continuous influx of returning refugees, with more than 317,000 individuals having already returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham and Chaman border crossings.

Torkham Crossing alone has witnessed the return of over 212,000 individuals, while an additional 105,000 have crossed back through the Chaman border in Balochistan.

In the last 24 hours, 2,225 individuals have crossed back, an official in Landi Kotal told The Express Tribune.

Balochistan’s Caretaker Home Minister Captain (retd) Zubair Ahmed Jamali affirmed on Thursday evening that the repatriation process is in full swing, with authorities providing extensive support to those willingly leaving Pakistan for their home country.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2023.