By Fatema Adeeb in TOLOnews Online, Nov 02, 2023 at 8:54 PM
The forced deportation of Afghan immigrants from Pakistan has sparked worldwide reactions.
The US Department of State’s spokesman, Matthew Miller, in reaction to the forced deportation of Afghans, asked Pakistan to uphold its obligations in the treatment of refugees and respect the principle of non-refoulement.
“So we join all of our partners in urging every state, including Pakistan, to uphold their respective obligations in their treatment of refugees and asylum [seekers], and to respect the principle of non-refoulement. We strongly encourage Afghanistan’s neighbors, including Pakistan, to allow entry for Afghans seeking international protection and to coordinate with international humanitarian organizations to provide humanitarian assistance,” Miller said at a press conference.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said that the organization is concerned about this forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General, in a press conference, said: “we’re very concerned about this forced movement of people, many of whom are very likely refugees to a country that by most accounts isn’t ready to welcome them back, in a sense; and given the state of not only the humanitarian situation, but of course, first and foremost, the human rights situation. But, I know this is an issue that our colleagues in UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] and other humanitarian organizations are engaging with the Pakistani authorities.”
“The government of Sindh has issued a letter to the Sindh Ministry of Interior calling on police to not harass those Afghans who have POR, ACC and Passport,” said Abdul Jabar Takhari, consulate of Islamic Emirate in Karachi.
In the meantime, the Afghan Refugee Council in Pakistan noted that Afghan immigrants in Pakistan live with fear and stress and cannot leave their homes freely.
“We cannot explain that situation we are in by words. It is a very chaotic situation. It is an extremely critical state, full of fear and house arrests, the majority of people are suffering from a mental illness,” said Mir Ahmad Rauf, head of the council.
“The mass deportations of immigrants from Pakistan are against international conventions,” said Asefa Stanikzai, an expert on refugee issues.
Dawn news outlet, quoting the Ministry of Interior of Pakistan, said that the arrest of illegal Afghan immigrants has started all over the country, and more than 100 Afghan immigrants were arrested in the suburbs of Quetta alone.
According to the latest statistics, from November 1 until now, more than 4,000 Afghan immigrants have been deported from Pakistan, and now they are in a chaotic situation.
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185848
