Afghanistan Deportation Crisis: Pakistan's Mass Repatriation Campaign

Strategic Insights -

As the Taliban continues its grip on Afghanistan, Pakistan's mass repatriation campaign has left hundreds of thousands of Afghans, including former members of the armed forces and human rights activists, facing the threat of forced deportation. The campaign, which began in October 2023, has led to 845,000 Afghans leaving Pakistan over the past 18 months, with many facing an uncertain future.

The deportations have drawn criticism from human rights groups, the United Nations, and even the Taliban government. Many of those being deported have never known Afghanistan, having been born in Pakistan or having lived there for most of their lives. They fear returning to a country where they have no support system, no work, and little prospect of a safe future.

Key Takeaways:

  • Pakistan's mass repatriation campaign has resulted in 845,000 Afghans leaving Pakistan over the past 18 months.
  • An estimated one million Afghans in Pakistan do not have any paperwork, making them vulnerable to deportation.
  • The Taliban takeover in 2021 left tens of thousands of Afghans facing uncertainty, with around 20,000 stuck in limbo due to paused refugee programs.
  • Retirees, former military personnel, and human rights activists, such as Major-General Akhtar Makoii Osman, who hanged himself in desperation, are among those facing deportation.
  • Shahnaz, a 42-year-old human rights activist, faces deportation to Afghanistan, where she escaped death once before by fleeing to Pakistan.
  • Pakistan has told Afghans to leave within two months, despite the UNHCR and rights groups appealing for a change in policy.
  • The Taliban says it is setting up towns for returning Afghans, but the International Organisation for Migration says there needs to be more clarity and infrastructure for the towns to be liveable, and that returns must be voluntary.
  • Many Afghan deportees say they have no support system, no work, and little prospect of a safe future in Afghanistan.

Statistics:

  • 845,000 Afghans have left Pakistan over the past 18 months as part of the mass repatriation campaign.
  • An estimated one million Afghans in Pakistan do not have any paperwork.
  • Around 20,000 Afghans are stuck in limbo due to paused refugee programs.
  • 42% (around 1.3 million) of Afghans in Pakistan hold proof of registration cards.
  • 800,000 Afghans in Pakistan have Afghan citizen cards.
  • The population of Afghanistan is close to 45 million.
  • The two transit stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province will process deportees.

Sources:

  • The Telegraph
  • United Nations
  • Human Rights Watch
  • Amnesty International
  • International Organisation for Migration
  • Office of Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan