Taliban announces return of 42 Afghan migrants from Pakistani prisons

Kabul [Afghanistan], February 9 (ANI): Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations has announced the release and return of 42 Afghan migrants who were in prisons in Pakistan, Khaama Press reported.
In a statement shared on February 8, Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations said that these migrants, including women and children, were held at the "Haji Camp" prison in Pakistan for two to five months. According to the statement, these Afghan nationals were arrested in Islamabad due to lack of legal documents.
Pakistan's continued detention and expulsion of Afghan migrants have been met with international reactions from organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations, calling on Islamabad to stop these actions.
About 31,000 Afghan migrants were detained and imprisoned by Pakistan's security forces by December 31 last year, according to the UN. In the past year, more than 4,268 Afghan migrants, including women and children, have been released from prisons in Pakistan's Sindh province and returned to Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.
The forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan and Iran has worsened the already dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where millions of people are struggling to survive amid harsh winter conditions. The deportation leaves many refugees vulnerable to extreme weather, poverty, and lack of access to basic services.
Human rights organizations have criticised the expulsions, calling on Pakistan and Iran to reconsider their policies and find a more humane approach to handling the refugee crisis. The situation remains critical, as Afghan people, who have been deported, face life-threatening conditions because they are forced to come back to a country grappling with economic collapse and ongoing conflict.
Earlier on February 6, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have voiced concern over Pakistan's plan for the mass expulsion of Afghan refugees. It has demanded clarification about the deportation of Afghan migrants, Khaama Press reported.
In a statement issued on February 6, the UNHCR and IOM asked Pakistan to clarify the process of expelling Afghan migrants and refugees from the country. In the statement, the UNHCR and IOM highlighted the increase in the arrest of Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi since the start of January 2025, with some Afghans having residence permits also being detained.
The statement comes after Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week announced a multi-phase plan for the expulsion of Afghan migrants, including both legal refugees and those having residence permits, and undocumented migrants and those waiting for resettlement in the US or European nations. (ANI)