In an effort to expedite the repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals, Pakistan has opened three new border crossings. These individuals have been instructed to leave the country or face deportation, as part of the government’s crackdown on undocumented migrants. Many Afghan nationals have chosen to return home voluntarily in order to avoid expulsion. Islamabad claims that over 1 million Afghans, many of whom are reportedly involved in militant attacks and crime, are affected by this move, a claim that Kabul disputes.
The information minister for the provincial caretaker government, Jan Achakzai, announced that the new crossings are located at the Afghan border in Balochistan province, in addition to the main crossing in Chaman district. The main crossing had been struggling to handle the influx of Afghan refugees seeking to return home voluntarily.
The United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) reports that over 280,000 Afghan nationals have left Pakistan since the implementation of the new policy in early October. Pakistan has launched round-up operations across the country after the voluntary departure deadline passed on Nov. 1.
Despite calls from the United Nations, rights groups, and Western embassies to reconsider the expulsion plan or to identify and protect Afghans at risk of persecution, Islamabad has stood firm. Kabul has also requested that Islamabad grant Afghan nationals ample time to leave.
The expulsion drive has strained relations between the two neighbors, with Islamabad reiterating its claim that Islamist militants use Afghan soil to plan and carry out attacks in Pakistan. On the other hand, Kabul argues that Pakistan’s security is a domestic problem.
The mass migration has raised concerns of a potential humanitarian crisis as Kabul struggles to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people in makeshift tent villages on its side of the border, particularly as the winter season approaches.
(Writing by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
