Looming deadline: Thousands of Afghans face deportation
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans face the threat of deportation back to their war-torn country from Pakistan once a deadline expires this Saturday, but Kabul is crying foul over the move.
Pakistan is home to 1.7 million refugees and hundreds of thousands more unregistered migrants from its neighbour, according to the UNHCR.
But Islamabad says it cannot be expected to tolerate illegal migrants, and 400,000 undocumented Afghans in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), face the imminent prospect of removal.
The UNHCR describes the situation of Afghans in Pakistan as the “largest and most protracted refugee crisis in the world” and warned that the question of how to deal with it was becoming ‘increasingly politicised’.
K-P Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said law enforcement agencies have been told to compile lists of illegal Afghans and once the June 30-deadline passes, orders will be issued for their arrest, appearance in court and subsequent deportation to Afghanistan.
“No country allows illegal immigrants, how is it possible to legalise something which is illegal?” Hussain said.
But Afghans are nervous about welcoming home so many people. The government in Kabul denied that expulsions would take place.
Afghan refugee ministry spokesman Islamuddin Jurat said the two sides had agreed to solve the issue and give the Afghans “some legal status to stay there”.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 30th, 2012.
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COMMENTS (18)
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@Roshan
As far as illegal Pakistanis are concerned, their fate should be determined by their host countries.
Being of Pakistani heritage I say we kick the ungrateful Afghans out and sooner the better.
We should send all of them packing, legal or illegal.
Afghans hate Pakistanis no matter where they are.
To my great dismay I read today that we're giving these hateful people 600 scholarships - why - when our own student's cannot get spots in our Universities.
Deport them now - Let India help their new found brothers.
Out! Out! Out!
This type of reaction is nothing new. In any society, once corruption, ill conceived foreign and domestic policies, bad economic policy, in Pakistan's instance, internally destabilizing and criminal conduct tolerance policy, including mass murder and terrorism will eventually effect the standard of living and economic longevity of a country. In all of these societies, whether it be Greece, Germany, the United States of America and Pakistan is of course no better than these nations, the majority simply turns to blaming any given minority for their ills. PLEASE SEND THE AFGHANS HOME, We don't want your refuge or help, Pakistani help only helps Pakistan. We are very weary of your "help." We don't want anymore of your so called "help." Help yourselves.
Will you please stop saying you're going to do something for one time in your life Pakistan and actually do it. Send back our Afghans and do it now. No one needs to reside in Pakistan. Most of these refugee's are businessmen and self sufficient successful entrepreneurs whom are tough and were able to relocate and re-establish themselves. WE WANT THOSE AFGHANS BACK. And also, lets end this charade and get rid of your last trump card about how great of Muslim Brotherly neighbors you are so the chips may fall where they may. DO IT AND DO IT NOW. I don't want to hear we don't want you, go home, get out. DO IT. No one on earth wants to or needs to be in Pakistan. Even tho most of it's territory is disputed.
@roshan: they are legal refugees.. not illegal.. the news is about illegal afghans.. go through the news again.. if there is any pakistani illegally staying in europe or US.. he must be deported and punnished..
What about the million pakistani refugees in Europe and America? Is pakistan willing to accept them en mass?
Its not the Afghan only, there are a number of illegal immigrants(a large number of Banglis) who should be deported as well.... and quickly....
Basically these refugees are free loading off our system. I completely agree that we should build a wall or a fence on the Pak Afghan border to keep these aliens out who have become an over burden on our economy. After ruining their own country during the so called Afghan jihad and introducing our country to the culture of suicide bombings they are refusing to go back. If they are not willing to leave the government ought to deport them forcefully. Its not our business what happens with them in Afghanistan. It's the Afghan government's problem.
Afghans involve in weapons and drugs trade. Huge burden on Weak Economic conditions of Pakistan. Must be deported immediately.
@Afghan, do you have reading disability. It is KPK minister requesting their expulsion.
I am from Peshawar. These immigrants are having a horrible effect on the local economy by smuggling cheap goods. We must put an end to illegal immigration. I will be grateful to the respective authorities if they are expelled immediately. Afghanistan is fine now.
It is already late. Refugees must be sent back immediately to once again bring peace and stability to this land.
Why should we bear the burden of these illegal refugees. These Afghans have brought the AK 47 and drug culture to Pakistan and have been one of the factors of the current state of Pakistan. They have over stayed their welcome and should be deported back to their own country.
Pakistan has to look in their best interest and the best interest is to deport Afghan refugees staying in Pakistan. It is not good for Pakistan to hold millions of refugees and it is not good for the refugees itself. I hope they are more than willing to settle in their own country. What Afghanistan wants -thats not Pakistan concerns. Pakistan should have worked on a top priority bases to erect some sorts of wall or a fence at the porous border so that easy trafficing will not take place by these illegal people. Pakistan take a bold step. It is already 10+ years the refugees has to go.
No legal status, they must go back as Pakistan is undergoing an economic crisis and in this time we can't take the burden of illegal afghans who are of no use and are involved in the most criminal activities.
India welcomes Afghan refugees. Just ask Mr. Singh.