Afghanistan's embassy in Islamabad has accused Pakistan of carrying out a mass expulsion of Afghan refugees, citing arrests, harassment, and forced relocations, according to Reuters. The statement comes after the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that hundreds of Afghans had been expelled from Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Pakistan has been implementing a large-scale repatriation drive targeting the approximately 4mn Afghan refugees who fled decades of war and the Taliban's return to power in 2021. According to the Afghan embassy, police in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have ordered Afghan nationals to relocate, while many have faced detentions and searches.
"This process of detaining Afghans, which began without any formal announcement, has not been officially communicated to the Embassy of Afghanistan," the statement said.
Pakistan’s foreign office denied targeting Afghan refugees, insisting that the removals are part of the "Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan," launched in 2023.
"We expect interim Afghan authorities to create conducive conditions in Afghanistan, so that these returnees are fully integrated into Afghan society," the statement added.
Despite Pakistan’s reassurances, the Afghan embassy stated that officials had informed them of plans to deport all Afghan nationals, allowing only those with valid visas to remain in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The UNHCR has raised concerns over an increase in deportations since January 1, warning that the recent directives have heightened fears among Afghans of imminent removal.
The deportations come amid reports that the U.S. State Department office responsible for resettling Afghan refugees in the United States has been ordered to shut down by April. The closure could leave up to 200,000 people stranded, many of whom are currently in Pakistan.
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