Amnesty International on Afghan Refugees

[PradoTLC]

October 4, 2023

PAKISTAN: GOVERNMENT MUST NOT DEPORT AFGHAN REFUGEES​

Responding to reports that the Government of Pakistan has ordered all unregistered Afghan refugees to leave the country by November 2023, Nadia Rahman, Amnesty International’s Interim Deputy Regional Director for research in South Asia, said:

“Afghans in Pakistan are fleeing persecution by the Taliban. They are living incredibly precarious lives where they are either having to undergo arduous processes for registering as refugees in Pakistan; or are stuck in lengthy processes waiting to obtain relocation to another country. A forced return to Afghanistan could put them at grave risk.”


“Afghans in Pakistan are in urgent need of greater support as the obstacles and delays they face in registering as refugees or for third country relocation have left them in a legal limbo and made them even more vulnerable to harassment and stigma. Amnesty International urges the Government of Pakistan to continue its historic support for Afghan refugees by enabling them to live with dignity and free from the fear of deportation to Afghanistan where they face persecution by the Taliban.

“Amnesty International also reiterates its calls to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to expedite registration and reviews of applications from Afghans seeking international protection in Pakistan; to the Government of Pakistan to stop the crackdown against and the arrests and harassment of Afghan refugees; and to third countries offering relocation to Afghans abroad to expedite the issuance of their visas. The international community must act immediately to keep up their initial promises of providing protection to those fleeing persecution in Afghanistan.”

BACKGROUND​

On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced the crackdown order on “illegal immigrants” including Afghans in Pakistan. In recent years, many Afghans living in fear of persecution following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 have fled to Pakistan, where they have been subjected to waves of arbitrary detentions, arrests, and the threat of deportation. Because of considerable delays in the registration process, most do not hold Proof of Registration (PoR) or Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) cards, the identity documents that entitle Afghan refugees to remain regularly in Pakistan. Many arrived in Pakistan with regular visas, which have since expired.

Previously, Amnesty International has documented the harassment meted out to Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

The UNHCR has issued a non-return advisory for Afghans outside of their home country following the Taliban takeover. According to the UNHCR, there are more than 3.7 million Afghans in Pakistan, who fled Afghanistan for both economic and political reasons. Only 1.4 million of them are formally registered.

In December 2022, Amnesty International raised its concerns with regards to the situation of Afghan asylum seekers and refugees to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Pakistan: Government must not deport Afghan Refugees

Responding to reports that the Government of Pakistan has ordered all unregistered Afghan refugees to leave the country by November 2023, Nadia Rahman, Amnesty International’s Interim Deputy Regional Director for research in South Asia, said: “Afghans in Pakistan are fleeing persecution by the...

www.amnesty.org

amnesty is welcome to take them to UK and US

 

[El Sidd]

Just like Muhammad bin Qasim came to defend Muslims?

Absolutely.

 

[R2D2]

Refugees International Urges the Government of Pakistan to Continue Hosting Afghans - Refugees International

The Pakistani government has ordered all undocumented Afghans leave the country or face forced expulsions.

www.refugeesinternational.org

Refugees International Urges the Government of Pakistan to Continue Hosting Afghans​

By Devon Cone | October 4, 2023
Statement from Refugees International’s Senior Advocate for Women and Girls Devon Cone:

“Refugees International is deeply troubled by the announcement from the Pakistani government ordering all undocumented Afghans leave the country or face forced expulsions. The Pakistani government does not recognize Afghans who arrived after 2007 as refugees, despite widespread violence in Afghanistan and subsequent human rights abuses perpetrated by the Taliban following their takeover in 2021. Therefore, this drastic measure could affect almost 2 million people who have fled Afghanistan to seek safety in neighboring Pakistan, and will be particularly devastating to women and girls forced to return to the brutal repression of the Taliban.
We are especially concerned about Afghans who fled their country after August 2021 due to direct and targeted threats from the Taliban. These include human rights defenders, former government officials, former military leaders, judges, lawyers, activists, and journalists – many of them groundbreaking women leaders who have few other pathways to safety. They are at heightened risk of violence and reprisals from the Taliban. Expelling them back to Afghanistan would most likely result in their deaths. The consequences for Afghan women and girls are exceptionally high. UN experts have decried the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls inside of Afghanistan and have suggested it may amount to gender apartheid.
The government of Pakistan should not scapegoat an entire population of at-risk refugees based on the deplorable actions of Taliban militants known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). These are the same groups from whom Afghans fled. Pakistan has a long history of generously hosting their Afghan neighbors when they have been unsafe. Now is not the time to stop.”

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Refugees International Media and Communications Manager Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.

 

[TheSolution]

Refugees International Urges the Government of Pakistan to Continue Hosting Afghans - Refugees International

The Pakistani government has ordered all undocumented Afghans leave the country or face forced expulsions.

www.refugeesinternational.org

Refugees International Urges the Government of Pakistan to Continue Hosting Afghans​

By Devon Cone | October 4, 2023
Statement from Refugees International’s Senior Advocate for Women and Girls Devon Cone:

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Refugees International Media and Communications Manager Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.

Stop posting American propaganda pieces by the Zionist sponsored world

 

[R2D2]

On 23rd Sept.,Pakistan's section officer, Muhammad Asif,directed the police to ensure that the operation against #AfghanRefugees takes place after midnight, spec. after 12 o'clock.This directive was given because harassing Afghan refugees would adversely affect Pakistan's image

https://twitter.com/x/status/1709098275830407557

 

[R2D2]

Targeting Afghans​

Editorial Published October 5, 2023 Updated a day ago
THE government has given all illegal immigrants in the country till the end of the month to return to their homelands or risk deportation.
This includes 1.73m Afghans, who, according to Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti, are undocumented. E-tazkiras — Afghan identity cards — will no longer be deemed valid after Oct 31, leaving only passports and visas as the acceptable form of identification.
Mr Bugti said it is to ensure the “welfare and security” of Pakistanis. While security is paramount, one cannot help but question the real motive behind these plans.
The interior minister pointedly said that of the 24 suicide attacks that took place in Pakistan since January, “14 bombings were carried out by Afghan nationals”. This was a troubling statement to have made on TV and nothing short of ethnic profiling.

Even more disturbing was his announcement of a web portal and a national helpline where anyone can report “illegal immigrants” in exchange for a reward.
These decisions — seemingly targeting the Afghans — in addition to others taken in recent weeks suggest there may be more to it than meets the eye.
It bears mentioning that September saw an alarming rise in the rounding up of Afghans in the backdrop of renewed tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, which followed a TTP attack in Chitral.

The Afghan embassy said more than 1,000 Afghans were detained in the past two weeks — half of them despite having a legal right to be in Pakistan.
Why was such treatment meted out to those who have sought refuge on our soil for four decades? And with what conscience, when we are so quick to urge the West not to close their doors on war-ravaged Syrians, Iranians, and the like? Was it to pressure the Taliban rulers in Kabul to ‘do more’ with the TTP?
While Pakistan cannot allow such a large number of undocumented foreigners and must enact measures to properly register them, the West, which packed its bags and left Afghanistan in the lurch, must also bear responsibility for the ongoing fallout.
It must provide Pakistan assistance in this endeavour, monetarily as well as in terms of technical expertise. It must also help those migrants who came here with the hope of moving to the US or other Western countries under refugee resettlement programmes.

The migrants allege delays in the processing of their resettlement applications, lack of help from UNHCR and trouble securing an extension of their Pakistani visas. The UNHCR has belatedly offered to help Pakistan manage and register people in need of international protection.
The Afghans cannot be wished away. They are a part of the region’s sociopolitical fabric, and a compassionate, sustainable solution must be sought for their plight. Abandoning them in haste will only sow seeds of future discord.
Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2023

Targeting Afghans

Afghans are part of the region’s sociopolitical fabric and cannot be wished away. Abandoning them in haste will only sow seeds of future discord.

www.dawn.com

 

[R2D2]

UNHCR and IOM urge Pakistan to maintain protection space for Afghans in need of safety | UNHCR Asia Pacific

BANGKOK — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and IOM, the UN Migration Agency, are appealing to Pakistan to continue its protection of all vulnerable Afghans who have sought safety in the country and could be at imminent risk if forced to return. The appeal comes after Pakistan announced plans to...

t.co

 

[Dalit]

Refugees International Urges the Government of Pakistan to Continue Hosting Afghans - Refugees International

The Pakistani government has ordered all undocumented Afghans leave the country or face forced expulsions.

www.refugeesinternational.org

Refugees International Urges the Government of Pakistan to Continue Hosting Afghans​

By Devon Cone | October 4, 2023
Statement from Refugees International’s Senior Advocate for Women and Girls Devon Cone:

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Refugees International Media and Communications Manager Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.

This is begging.

 

[ziaulislam]

Gilgit Baltistani locals the ones who defeated Indians and made Indians surrender, and Gilgitis almost captured Leh.

On the other hand Pashtuns looted baramulla for days instead of advancing to Srinagar and capturing the airport before Indian forces could land there.

But Pashtuns did strike a lot of fear into Indian soldiers, who were too afraid to launch large scale offensives into AJK and instead sent small relief columns.

But the main question is where was Pakistan army

Real reason for collapse was Pakistan calling it a day in UN and airpower was more effective on the plans down to Srinagar

Pakistan should have gotten involved rather then relying on irregular pushtoons who were more interested in GB and current azad kashmir region rather then deep inside kashmir

Where were volunteers from punjab ? Wasn't it there job to go there first?

 

[kmc_chacko]

Refugees International Urges the Government of Pakistan to Continue Hosting Afghans - Refugees International

The Pakistani government has ordered all undocumented Afghans leave the country or face forced expulsions.

www.refugeesinternational.org

Refugees International Urges the Government of Pakistan to Continue Hosting Afghans​

By Devon Cone | October 4, 2023
Statement from Refugees International’s Senior Advocate for Women and Girls Devon Cone:

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Refugees International Media and Communications Manager Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.

Stop posting American propaganda pieces by the Zionist sponsored world

UNHCR and IOM urge Pakistan to maintain protection space for Afghans in need of safety | UNHCR Asia Pacific

BANGKOK — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and IOM, the UN Migration Agency, are appealing to Pakistan to continue its protection of all vulnerable Afghans who have sought safety in the country and could be at imminent risk if forced to return. The appeal comes after Pakistan announced plans to...

t.co

This is eventually to happen I had predicted this earlier,

West will force GoP to keep them, west knows if Pakistan throws them out then eventually they will try illegal migration to Europe which they will not accept. remember when US & west escaped from Afghanistan they had brought few with them also, things can turn both ways if GoP show some guts & will to push them out.

It seems PA is waiting for west to offer $$

 

[Dalit]

This is eventually to happen I had predicted this earlier,

West will force GoP to keep them, west knows if Pakistan throws them out then eventually they will try illegal migration to Europe which they will not accept. remember when US & west escaped from Afghanistan they had brought few with them also, things can turn both ways if GoP show some guts & will to push them out.

It seems PA is waiting for west to offer $$

Pakistan isn't going to keep them. It is over.

This is how desperate the situation is for Western countries:

UN agencies ‘stand ready’ to support Pakistan in registering, managing Afghan refugees

UNHCR, IOM urge countries to "suspend forcible returns" of Afghan nationals and ensure it takes place in "safe, dignified and voluntary manner".

www.dawn.com

They are now instructing their agencies.

Govt firm on repatriation plan amid criticism
Despite criticism from within and without, with organisations such as the UNHCR and Amnesty International calling on the government to rethink its plans, the government doubled down on its policy.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani had defended the move, saying that it was “in line with the international practice”. He had said Pakistan had been discussing the migrant issue with Afghanistan “for a very long time” and called on international humanitarian agencies to help with the process.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had stated that the crackdown on undocumented immigrants was not aimed at any particular ethnic group.

She had added that the expulsion plan could start with people with criminal records, such as someone involved in a crime or smuggling. Baloch further said that the process would follow an orderly manner, in contrast to what she called misconceptions that all of them would just be expelled in one go.

It was reported this week that 30 Afghan families had returned to their country via the Torkham border crossing over the last couple of days, with sources saying the new policy had accelerated the process.

A day ago, caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi had asserted that the provincial authorities had collected initial data on foreign residents. He had called on all foreign nationals residing illegally in Punjab to depart voluntarily.

Govt firm on repatriation plan amid criticism

Punjab CM claims data of all foreign residents compiled; FO says expulsion plan to be carried out in phases.

www.dawn.com

 

[kmc_chacko]

Pakistan isn't going to keep them. It is over.

This is how desperate the situation is for Western countries:

UN agencies ‘stand ready’ to support Pakistan in registering, managing Afghan refugees

UNHCR, IOM urge countries to "suspend forcible returns" of Afghan nationals and ensure it takes place in "safe, dignified and voluntary manner".

www.dawn.com

They are now instructing their agencies.

Govt firm on repatriation plan amid criticism
Despite criticism from within and without, with organisations such as the UNHCR and Amnesty International calling on the government to rethink its plans, the government doubled down on its policy.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani had defended the move, saying that it was “in line with the international practice”. He had said Pakistan had been discussing the migrant issue with Afghanistan “for a very long time” and called on international humanitarian agencies to help with the process.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had stated that the crackdown on undocumented immigrants was not aimed at any particular ethnic group.

She had added that the expulsion plan could start with people with criminal records, such as someone involved in a crime or smuggling. Baloch further said that the process would follow an orderly manner, in contrast to what she called misconceptions that all of them would just be expelled in one go.

It was reported this week that 30 Afghan families had returned to their country via the Torkham border crossing over the last couple of days, with sources saying the new policy had accelerated the process.

A day ago, caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi had asserted that the provincial authorities had collected initial data on foreign residents. He had called on all foreign nationals residing illegally in Punjab to depart voluntarily.

Govt firm on repatriation plan amid criticism

Punjab CM claims data of all foreign residents compiled; FO says expulsion plan to be carried out in phases.

www.dawn.com

I don't know about the ground realities but its common among western countries to pay $$ to keep the refugees and from my point of view its a bargaining chip used by present caretaker to extract funds at affordable manner. Time will expose the truth about the same.