Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Pakistani authorities of committing extensive abuses against Afghans residing in Pakistan, aiming to force their return to Afghanistan. Since mid-September 2023, Pakistani officials have engaged in mass detentions, property seizures, and document destruction, resulting in the expulsion of over 375,000 Afghans, with 20,000 forcibly deported.
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at HRW, asserted that Pakistani officials created a coercive environment, compelling Afghans to return to perilous conditions in Afghanistan. Pearson urged an immediate end to abuses and called for affected Afghans to have the opportunity to seek protection in Pakistan.
The mistreatment includes coercing Afghans born in Pakistan, who have never lived in Afghanistan, and those at risk of persecution, including women, girls, human rights defenders, journalists, and former government employees who fled after the Taliban's 2021 takeover.
Reports suggest that these actions are part of a broader campaign to expel Afghan migrants, involving night raids, beatings, threats, and detentions by police. The United Nations and International Organization for Migration reported that 92 percent of Afghans leaving Pakistan feared detention by Pakistani authorities.
Allegations include police demanding bribes, confiscating property, bulldozing homes, and instances of sexual harassment and threats against Afghan women and girls.
Pakistani authorities have attributed a recent rise in attacks by militant groups to "illegal migrants." They have also reportedly imposed an $830 exit fee on Afghans awaiting resettlement in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries.
The deportations violate Pakistan's obligations under international law, and HRW calls for an end to police abuses and deportation threats, urging collaboration with the UNHCR to resume the registration of Afghan asylum seekers.
HRW has appealed to the US, UK, Germany, and Canada to expedite resettlement for at-risk Afghans, emphasizing the need for an enhanced humanitarian response to the crisis in Afghanistan.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep current on world news.
Comments (0)