Human rights group says Pakistan pressuring Afghans to return dwelling regardless of danger of persecution
A number one human rights group mentioned on Wednesday that Pakistan’s authorities have intensified strain on Afghan refugees to return to neighbouring Afghanistan, the place they danger persecution by the Taliban and face dire financial situations.
“Pakistani officers ought to instantly cease coercing Afghans to return dwelling and provides these dealing with expulsion the chance to hunt safety,” mentioned Elaine Pearson, Asia director at New York-based Human Rights Watch.
“The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan ought to stop any reprisals towards returning Afghans and reverse their abusive insurance policies towards girls and women,” she mentioned.
Pakistan set a 31 March deadline for the deportation of all foreigners residing illegally within the nation. Most of them are Afghans.
The HRW enchantment got here a month after the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad mentioned that Pakistan has stepped up arrests of Afghan residents in Islamabad and close by Rawalpindi for compelled expulsion.
Nevertheless, Pakistan has dismissed the allegation by Kabul, saying that the authorities had been solely attempting to facilitate situations for the swift return of Afghans to their dwelling nation.
Greater than 500,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 have been residing with out papers in Pakistan, hundreds of them ready for resettlement in the US and elsewhere.
There are additionally round 1.45 million Afghan refugees, registered with the UN refugee company, most of whom fled throughout the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their nation.
Final July, Pakistan prolonged the keep of refugees registered with UNHCR till June, saying they will not be arrested or deported no less than till the extension expires.
In January, US President Donald Trump paused American refugee programmes for no less than three months and since then, round 20,000 Afghans who had been awaiting resettlement in Pakistan at the moment are in limbo.
