The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reported an increase in the forced deportation of Afghan migrants without residency documentation from Pakistan.
In a post on X today (Wednesday, April 9), UNAMA stated that over 8,000 Afghans without residency documentation have been expelled from Pakistan in the past two days.
UNAMA wrote: “In the past two days, 8,025 undocumented Afghans or those with temporary identification cards (A.C.C.) have been returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings.”
According to UNAMA, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its partners have so far provided emergency shelter, water, food, and medical services to 2,614 of these individuals.
The rise in deportations comes after the Pakistani government issued a warning to Afghan nationals without legal residency permits to leave the country by March 31, 2025, or face forced expulsion.
Following the fall of the Republic government in 2021, many former government employees, civil society activists, human rights defenders, journalists, and others who felt at risk of retaliation and threats from the Taliban sought refuge in Pakistan.
Recently, a group of UN experts, including Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, called on Pakistan to halt the forced deportation of Afghan refugees due to the threats they face in Afghanistan.
