UN expresses concern as Pakistan set to resume deportation of Afghan refugees

Chaman (Balochistan) [Pakistan], April 3 (ANI): The United Nations and human rights organisations have raised concerns over Pakistan's forced repatriation of Afghan refugees, urging the government to adhere to international laws and ensure voluntary and dignified returns. Pakistan is set to resume the deportation of Afghan refugees to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan following delays, reports said.
According to a Geo News report, Amnesty International has warned that many Afghan refugees in Pakistan face severe threats if they return to Afghanistan, stating that "forced repatriation would be a violation of human rights."
Similarly, the UNHCR has underlined that Afghan refugees must be allowed to return voluntarily to ensure long-term stability.
UNHCR spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi told Geo News that Afghanistan's deteriorating human rights situation puts those returning at serious risk.
"Many Afghan Citizen Card holders are running businesses in Pakistan, and their children are enrolled in local schools. The Afghan government's restrictions on girls' education and women's employment must be considered before repatriating these refugees," Geo News reported, citing Afridi.
Afridi, as per a Geo News report, also noted that some deported Afghans might be eligible for international protection.
Despite concerns from global organisations, Pakistan has continued repatriating Afghan refugees through the Pak-Afghan border in Balochistan's Chaman district, as per a report by Dawn on Thursday.
The second phase of repatriation was set to begin on Thursday, following the expiration of the March 31 deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders to leave voluntarily.
However, a senior official at the Afghan Commissionerate told Dawn that the process had been delayed due to Eidul Fitr, following instructions from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chaman district Habib Ahmad Bangulzai told Dawn that the return of ACC holders began on April 2, with holding camps established along the Afghan border, including at Jamal Nasir Football Stadium.
"The Chaman district administration completed arrangements before Eidul Fitr, for which a database camp was set up at the LPG terminal at Bab Dosti border crossing point," Dawn reported, quoting Bangulzai. "
"It will not only have data transit entry but will also house Afghan families in case the border gate is closed," Bangulzai added.
He, as per Dawn, added that the biometric verification of Afghan refugees would be conducted at the Bab Dosti camp through NADRA, and Afghan families awaiting processing would receive food and shelter.
"More than 3,500 families are registered in Chaman district, of which two families have voluntarily returned," Bangulzai said. "Levies have taken action and shifted eight other families to holding camps. After their data is entered into NADRA and other processes are completed, they will be sent back across the border."
Bangulzai also stated that deputy commissioners in other Balochistan districts have sought assistance from Chaman authorities, as the district serves as the "Pak-Afghan gateway."
"Afghan families coming from other districts will have their data re-entered in Chaman, after which they will be made to cross the border," he told Dawn.
The repatriation drive has triggered anxiety among Afghan refugees, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades and now fear sudden deportation despite concerns raised by international bodies, a GEO report stated. (ANI)