This is a real exodus caused by a mass deportation on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Thousands of Afghans have flocked to the main border crossing between the two countries to try to enter their country after the Islamabad government’s deadline for deporting undocumented foreigners expired. Nearly two million Afghans could be forced to leave the country or face arrest and deportation following an ultimatum issued by the Pakistani government a month ago.
To cope with the sudden influx, the Taliban-led Kabul government said temporary transit camps were being set up and food and medical care would be provided, but aid agencies reported conditions across the border were difficult. “Teams from organizations in areas where people returning from Pakistan are located have reported chaotic and hopeless scenes among the returnees,” the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Danish Refugee Council and the Danish Refugee Council said in a joint statement. . The Pakistani government has rejected calls from the United Nations, rights groups and Western embassies to reconsider the deportation plan. The sudden order to leave the country followed a spate of suicide attacks this year that the government said involved Afghans, but that claim was not supported by evidence.
Pakistani officials said Afghan citizens were involved in attacks against the government and military, with 14 of 24 suicide attacks this year taking place. Islamabad also accused them of smuggling and other terrorist attacks, as well as minor crimes. The Taliban-led Afghan administration rejected Pakistan’s accusations against Afghan refugees and asked all countries hosting Afghan refugees to give them more time to prepare for their return to their country. In a social media post to Afghans in Pakistan and elsewhere, the administration said, “We urge them not to forcibly deport Afghans without preparation, but to give them sufficient time. Countries should show tolerance.” said.
The government estimates that 1.7 million of the more than 4 million Afghans living in Pakistan are undocumented. Many have fled during decades of armed conflict in Afghanistan since the late 1970s, while the Islamist Taliban took control following the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces in 2021, prompting another exodus. Humanitarian organizations have warned that the mass movement of people could plunge the country into another crisis and expressed “serious concerns” about the survival and reintegration of returnees, especially as winter approaches.
Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner of Khyber tribal district, said more than 24,000 Afghans crossed into Afghanistan through the Torkham border crossing in the northwest yesterday (Wednesday, November 1) alone. “There were a large number of people waiting to receive authorization, and we made additional arrangements to streamline the authorization process.” Khan said 128,000 Afghans have left the crossing since the Pakistani government issued its directive. The main roads leading to the border crossings were clogged with trucks carrying families and whatever else they could carry.
Aid agencies estimate that the number of arrivals in Torkham has risen from 300 people a day to 9-10,000 since last month’s deportation order. While some Afghans ordered to leave have spent decades in Pakistan, others have never been to Afghanistan and wonder how they can start a new life there.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
