Breaking News: Pakistan's Bold Move to Safeguard National Security - Massive Deportation of Illegal Immigrants and Afghan Nationals
Pakistan to deport all illegal immigrants, including Afghans, by end of October as part of a mass deportation plan announced by authorities
Pakistan has declared a mass deportation initiative, mandating that "all illegal immigrants" must exit the country before the end of October, as announced by authorities on Tuesday. In the event that these groups fail to comply by November 1, Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti stated during a news conference that "all law enforcement agencies would deport them."
Following the deadline, businesses and properties belonging to "illegal aliens" will be seized, and individuals involved in illegal business operations and those who aid them will face prosecution," he stated.
Additionally, he emphasized that "severe legal measures will be taken against any Pakistani citizen or company that offers accommodation or services to illegal aliens" residing in Pakistan after the specified deadline.
The National Apex Committee, which convened earlier on Tuesday, made the decision. In addition, a task force has been created to apprehend individuals possessing counterfeit ID cards and residing in illegally constructed properties obtained through fraudulent means. Furthermore, the country's national database and registration authority has been instructed to invalidate any forged ID cards and verify such cases through DNA testing. According to Bugti, approximately 1.73 million Afghan nationals are among the immigrants being targeted for deportation, as reported by Reuters.
Afghan refugees board a bus from Karachi to Afghanistan on September 21.
Pakistan is host to a substantial number of refugees, making it one of the largest refugee populations globally. Among them, there is a substantial Afghan population. The interconnectedness between these two nations, through their shared border and strong cultural bonds, means that their destinies have always been intertwined. Consequently, the years of conflict and humanitarian emergencies experienced in Afghanistan invariably impact Pakistan as well.
Many Afghans sought refuge in Pakistan during the largest refugee crisis in the world in 1979, as they fled the Soviet invasion. Similarly, in 2021, after the Taliban regained control of Kabul, thousands of Afghans crossed the Pakistan border. These individuals often lacked complete paperwork as they awaited visas to third countries like the United States.
A Pakistani soldier stands guard as stranded Afghan nationals return to Afghanistan at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing point in Chaman on August 15, 2021.
AFP via Getty Images/FILE
As of the end of 2022, the United Nations refugee agency reported that Pakistan accommodated over 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees and approximately 427,000 individuals in "refugee-like situations" originating from Afghanistan.
However, their existence in Pakistan has always sparked controversy, leading to police crackdowns and the possibility of deportation in the past. Volunteer groups, referring to local records, have reported that numerous Afghans have been expelled from Pakistan this year. Bugti asserted during the press conference on Tuesday that Afghan citizens were responsible for 14 out of 24 significant terrorist attacks that occurred in Pakistan in the current year.
"We have evidence to support the fact that Afghanistan and its nationals are responsible for the attacks targeting us," he stated.
In a statement released on Monday, Amnesty International, a nonprofit organization, expressed concern over the plight of numerous Afghans who have sought refuge in Pakistan due to fears of persecution by the Taliban. According to the statement, these individuals have faced repeated instances of arbitrary detentions, arrests, and the constant fear of being deported.
"It is deeply concerning that the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is not receiving due international attention," it added.
