Islamabad, Feb 23 (IANS) Continuing its belligerent stance against Afghanistan, Pakistan threatened to deport thousands of Afghan nationals awaiting relocation and resettlement in the US back to their home country if their cases are rejected or not processed on time.
While speaking to local media in Turkey, Foreign Minister of Pakistan Ishaq Dar said “If any refugee who was undertaken to be taken by another country after due process —no matter the timeline — if it doesn’t happen and the country refuses, then for us, that will be an illegal immigrant in Pakistan, and we might be forced to send such refugee back to (their) original country, which is Afghanistan,” as reported by US media outlet Voice of America.
Last month US President Donald Trump passed an order suspending the US Refugee Admissions Program until the further entry into the US of refugees aligns with the interests of the US, according to an executive order issued by the White House.
However, Afghanistan has not yet responded to Ishaq Dar’s latest statements.
In a separate development, the Pakistani Government plans to deport Human Rights activists and members of the Afghan Women Justice Movement Zahra Mousavi back to Afghanistan. She is currently being held by Pakistani Police in Islamabad. Despite repeated warnings from Human rights organisations, Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on many Afghan refugees arresting them from home and streets under various pretexts, reports Afghan’s Amu TV.
Several incidents have been reported in Afghan media earlier that highlight the plight of Afghan migrants, including hundreds of women and children, as they are being arrested by police in various Pakistani cities and forcibly deported.
Afghanistan’s embassy in Pakistan reported the arrest of nearly 800 Afghan citizens in Islamabad recently. Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, Acting Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, said that despite possessing visas and residency documents, Afghan citizens were detained by Pakistani police.
Fleeing from war and conflict in their country, migrants from Afghanistan have been taking refuge in Pakistan for decades now. With the Taliban returning to power in 2021, millions of Afghans migrated to Pakistan in fear of persecution. In 2023, the situation of migrants deteriorated with Pakistan authorities engaging in abusive tactics and mass deportation.
–IANS
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