The year 1404, among other events, has so far proven to be a very difficult year for Afghan migrants living in neighboring countries, especially Iran and Pakistan.
During this year, incidents of harassment, arrests, and torture of Afghan migrants in neighboring countries increased, while many were deported back to Afghanistan in poor conditions—particularly from Pakistan, where the repatriation process is still ongoing.
The Ministry of Refugees says that more than 3 million Afghan migrants have been expelled this year from Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan.
They say that most of these migrants were mistreated by host countries, unlawfully detained, tortured, and then forcibly deported.
The ministry’s spokesperson said that during this period, 214,000 families were forcibly deported from Pakistan.
He added that more than 12,000 Afghan migrants who had been imprisoned in Iran and Pakistan were released and returned to the country.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations, Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, said: “From the mentioned countries, 1,122,312 single individuals have been deported, and 12,275 prisoners have been released from various prisons in Pakistan and Iraq and returned to their country. With this, the total number of returned migrants has reached 3,114,107.”
Haqqani said that, in addition to other facilities, food assistance, healthcare services, and shelter have been provided to the returnees.
He added that the Ministry of Refugees has also provided nearly 4 billion Afghanis in cash assistance to these returnees.
Mr. Haqqani further said that, in cooperation with international organizations, assistance worth 16 billion Afghanis has been delivered to 475,000 displaced families.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations, Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, said: “In the area of emergency assistance, during the current year, with the cooperation of partner institutions, around 470,300 returnee and internally displaced families have received aid worth approximately 16,253,061,938 Afghanis in the form of cash, food, non-food items, healthcare, legal advice, and shelter, benefiting nearly 3,276,000 people directly.”
On the other hand, refugee rights activists say that the treatment of Afghan migrants by host countries—especially Pakistan—is contrary to Islamic and humanitarian principles and in violation of the United Nations Charter.
They say that neighboring countries have used Afghan migrants as a tool of political pressure against the Afghan government.
Refugee rights activist Abdul Razzaq Adil said: “Using migrants as a tool of political pressure not only fails to provide a sustainable solution for Pakistan’s security but also leads to the country’s international isolation and creates resentment in the hearts of future generations. Legally, Pakistan is obliged to adhere to its commitments regarding refugees. The current behavior, such as late-night arrests, forced deportations, and confiscation of property, is morally unjust and illegal under international law.”
Meanwhile, some other activists consider the assistance provided by international organizations to returnees insufficient and say that these institutions should increase their support for the reintegration of returnees.
Refugee rights activist Alireza Karimi said: “The increasing arrests and forced deportations of Afghan migrants, especially journalists, are a matter of concern and are contrary to human rights principles and international commitments on refugees. To resolve this issue, it is necessary for international institutions, human rights organizations, and influential countries to use dialogue and diplomatic pressure to urge Pakistan to respect the legal rights of refugees and prevent arrests and forced deportations.”
Since the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, the expulsion of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries—especially Pakistan—has intensified more than ever.
According to the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations, since the Islamic Emirate returned to power, more than 8 million migrants have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan.
