Special police units have reportedly been formed to identify and detain undocumented Afghans in major cities.
Migrants being deported back to Nigeria (Image: Getty)
Pakistan deported 7,700 Afghan refugees on Sunday, as Islamabad continues its brutal crackdown on migrants from its neighbour. This is in addition to at least 6,000 who were returned to Afghanistan on Saturday, bringing the total number of deportees to just over 13,000 in two days.
Many face an uncertain future, having initially fled to escape political persecution and poverty. Among those deported were women, children, journalists and former members of the country’s security forces. The Taliban is struggling to provide shelter for those returning from Pakistan, with transit camps reportedly overcrowded.
Afghan refugees await deportation from Pakistan (Image: Getty)
Government officials say more than 350,000 Afghans have been expelled from Pakistan since October, when Islamabad started to implement a controversial new policy.
This required all undocumented foreigners — an estimated 1.7 million people, mostly Afghans — to leave the country voluntarily or face arrest and deportation.
Special police units have reportedly been formed to identify and detain undocumented Afghans in major cities, such as Rawalpindi and Karachi.
Pakistan has defended its actions on national security grounds, claiming that some of the Afghan nationals were involved in recent terror attacks.
However, human rights’ groups argue that Islamabad is violating international law and its actions are collectively punishing vulnerable people. Aid agencies have warned the huge influx in deportees is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.
The country is in the midst of an economic crisis and is suffering from high unemployment and the fall out from a number of recent natural disasters.
Pakistan’s tough crackdown comes as Germany attempts to wriggle out of a commitment to resettle Afghan asylum seekers.
Most of them are currently in Pakistan, waiting for their visa applications to be processed by German authorities.
However, Berlin is offering them thousands of euros not to come, as it faces a growing public backlash to migration.
The German Interior Ministry is reportedly sending letters to the stranded Afghans, promising them €10,000 as a “starter bonus” not to come.
In addition, they are being offered a €2,500 one-off payment to facilitate their return to Afghanistan, according to the German newspaper Die Welt
