Pakistan's Forced Afghan Migrant Expulsion Sparks Rights Outcry

In its annual report, the human rights body stressed that Afghan refugees access to essential services like healthcare, medical treatment, and financial support has been severely restricted after Pakistan government enforced a policy to deport undocumented migrants, Shia Waves reported.

The human rights agency stated that Pakistan's decision has put additional pressure on Afghan refugees, further increasing their struggles. It has voiced concern over the denial of essential services and forced expulsion of Afghan migrants, stressing that these families were facing deteriorating situation.

The commission urged Pakistan to follow human rights principles and respect for human dignity when dealing with migrants. It stated that Pakistan's policy regarding the expulsion of Afghan migrants has sparked international concern, Shia Waves reported.

Last month, US-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that the Pakistani authorities have increased raids, arbitrary detentions and forced deportation of Afghan refugees after renewed border clashes with Afghanistan. HRW noted that thousands of vulnerable Afghan refugees, including children, have been facing serious problems in accessing healthcare, education and other essential services due to police operations.

It also highlighted that Pakistan's forced deportation of Afghans may amount to violations of the country's obligations as a party to the UN Convention Against Torture and the customary international law prohibition against refoulement or forced return to a place where they would face a genuine risk of persecution, torture, or other ill-treatment, or a threat to their life.

"Pakistani authorities are spreading fear among Afghan refugees instead of treating them as people in need of protection. Abusive police practices are forcing people to forgo food and healthcare while mass deportations are returning refugees to possible persecution and worse in Afghanistan," emphasised Fereshta Abbasi, a researcher at HRW.

Abbasi urged Pakistan to take action against abusive police practices and immediately stop forcibly returning Afghan refugees. She urged the international community to raise their concerns about these practices with the Pakistani government and denounce continuing human rights violations by Afghanistan.

As the fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has escalated since February, Pakistani police have increased operations against the Afghan people in several areas of the country, conducting door-to-door raids, late-night home searches, and arrests without warrants, the statement released by HRW revealed.

Police have arrested Afghans with valid visas and those without proper documents, which many Afghans lack since the Pakistani authorities stopped renewing Proof of Registration cards and other residency documents for Afghan refugees in 2023. Police usually transfer detained refugees to holding centres and then deport them. Over 146,000 Afghans have been deported from Pakistan in 2026, with the numbers increasing since April 1.

- IANS