A new report says that Afghan refugees face “intense abusive tactics” in Pakistan, amid constant pressure to deport illegal foreigners and holders of Afghan citizens ’cards.
The US -based Human Rights Watch (HRW) seemed to warn in a report published on Wednesday. The NGO called on the international community to prevent people from deporting Afghanistan, where they risk persecution by the Taliban, with a highlight of reports of human rights violations in Pakistan.
“Afghanistan is not a safe country,” said Ferichta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at HRW. “If you are a female protester now in Pakistan, on March 31, there is an opportunity to deport you or force him to return to Afghanistan.”
Abbasi said that HRW has documented cases of women’s rights advocates in Afghanistan, who were arbitrarily detained and tortured. NGOs also heard reports of women who were killed or disappeared under the regime.
“The danger is really high, and I really hope that the international community will take concrete measures to ensure that the Afghans at risk are not deported.”
The report says that human rights defenders, journalists and former government employees are in a special danger.
He also pointed to the terrible economic conditions: all those who were deported will struggle to survive, amid “high unemployment in Afghanistan”, the broken health care system, and their external aid.
Pakistan to deport all Afghans not documented after March 31
Earlier this month, the Pakistani Ministry of Interior called on all “illegal foreigners” and holders of Afghan citizen cards to leave the country by March 31. Those who will be deported will be deported from April 1.
Afghans represent the majority of Pakistan’s foreign population; The United Nations (United Nations) estimates that there is 3.7 million in the country. Many lived there decades ago, after the evacuation of Afghanistan in the 1980s during the Soviet Afghan war, while others crossed the border in August 2021 to flee the Taliban after the group seized power.
More than 800,000 Afghans in Pakistan currently keep the ID card, according to the United Nations. There are approximately 1.3 million officially registered and holding a separate guide for the residence card, issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UN Commission for Refugees). It is unclear how these mortality will be affected.
Ferichta Abbasi, a researcher in Afghanistan in Human Rights Watch, said, UK immigrants-are noticeable or not-are afraid of leaving their homes in Pakistan, after reports on arbitrary arrests and extortion, as they face a government deadline on March 31 to leave the country.
Pakistan announced for the first time the latest plan to return home in October 2023, after a in -depth economic crisis contributed to the rise in anti -immigrant feelings. Her government was also martyred with national security issues and accused many Afghans in the country of participating in terrorism. Recently, tensions on the border in Pakistani Afghanistan led to clashes between its security forces, forcing thousands to flee from their homes.
Since 2023, more than 800,000 Afghans in Pakistan have returned to the house or were expelled by force, says the United Nations. Most of those who have been afraid of detention were martyred by the Pakistani authorities as a reason for their departure, according to the United Nations report of that year.
Masoud Rahma, an Afghan sports journalist, told the report that even the Afghans registered with the Commission or who have good accommodations that were not safe.
Home raids, blackmail mentioned in Pakistan
According to the report, the Pakistani police raided the homes, hit them arbitrarily, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits.
Afghan refugees said that the authorities will take them or their relatives to police stations and request bribes to allow them to stay in the country.
HRW said that coercive revenues, mutations and Afghan deportation could rise to the extent of violations of Pakistan’s obligations as a party at the United Nations Conference against torture.
The organization says it has received reports of the arrest of the Afghan children who walk to school, or who were at school, and in the workplace and markets. It was also claimed that the Pakistani authorities have torn off families through expulsion.
“Even when a family member lacks the necessary legal documents, the police may compel all family members to leave or expel half of the family while some, including children, remain in Pakistan,” she said.
“Relief Organization representatives said that children under the age of 18 had left in Pakistan without their parents or were deported alone to Afghanistan.”
Calls to prevent any revenge against the return of Afghans
“Pakistani officials should immediately stop forcing the Afghans to return to their homes and give those who face the opportunity to seek protection,” said Eileen Pearson, HRW Director, Asia.
“The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan must prevent any revenge against the return of Afghans and reflect their abusive policies against women and girls.”
More than 70 percent of Afghans returning to women and children, According to the United Nations. This includes high school -age girls and women who will not get education, due to the Taliban Ban girls from attending school The last sixth grade. The group also banned women from most areas of public life, as part of the harsh measures it imposed after taking power in August 2021.
“My 13 -year -old daughter used to go to school and cannot go here,” Nour Mohamed, who was deported to Nimrose County in Afghanistan.
“It is a very difficult life.”
The report said that more than 22 million people in Afghanistan – approximately half of the population – need food aid and other assistance, as of January, and an estimated 3.5 million children “suffer from acute malnutrition.”
Abbasi said: “The economy system has collapsed in Afghanistan … there is no health care system,” Abbasi said.
Canada monitoring position “closely”
The organization has called on countries to host Afghan refugees, including Canada, to maintain the position that Afghanistan is unsafe for returns.
“The countries that have pledged to resettle the Afghans are at risk to respond to the urgency of the situation in Pakistan and the speedy cases,” Person said.
Since August 2021, Canada has taken more than 55,000 Remy Laravier, a spokesman for immigration, refugees and citizenship in Canada, said in a statement to the CBC News on Tuesday that Afghans and work to address qualified requests received under various Afghan measures on priority.
He said that Canada is closely watching the situation in Pakistan, and it is “actively involved” with the Pakistani government in resettlement of Afghans.
“IRCC communicates with customers because we are aware of their change in circumstances,” he said.
“A crisis of this size means that there will always be a request for resettlement in Canada more than we can provide.”
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