Concerns over deportations of Afghans
More than one million Afghans in Pakistan are at risk of deportation. Tens of thousands have already left the country. The Foreign Office expressed its concerns and stated that it is in close communication with the Pakistani authorities.
The German government has expressed concern over the mass deportations of Afghans threatened by Pakistan. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office in Berlin stated that they are in close communication with the Pakistani authorities regarding Afghans who are being supported by the German government in their departure from Pakistan.
The Pakistani authorities have declared that individuals coming to Germany from Pakistan through the federal acceptance program would be exempted from deportations.
Pakistan justifies the plans based on security reasons
According to the Pakistani refugee agency, more than 10,000 Afghans left the country on Tuesday. It is expected that an additional 25,000 people will follow. The Pakistani government has announced that it will deport refugees without legal status if they do not voluntarily leave the country by the end of October.
Over four million Afghan migrants and refugees live in Pakistan. According to the government, approximately 1.7 million of them do not possess proper documentation, despite many having lived in Pakistan their entire lives.
The measure primarily targets Afghans from the neighboring country controlled by the Islamist Taliban, who make up the largest number of irregular migrants in Pakistan. The Pakistani government cited a deterioration in security conditions in the border region due to an increase in suicide attacks, which it blames on militant fighters from Afghanistan.
Criticism from the UN and human rights groups
Criticism has also been voiced by United Nations organizations and human rights groups. Human Rights Watch accused Pakistan of resorting to threats, abuse, and arrests to coerce Afghan asylum seekers without legal status into returning. The organization called on authorities to abandon the deadline and cooperate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in order to register individuals without documents.
The authoritarian Taliban government itself urged against forcibly deporting Afghan nationals without prior preparation and to provide them with sufficient time.
The Foreign Office spokesperson stated that they are particularly concerned about the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. This situation is expected to worsen with the onset of winter.
In light of this, the Foreign Office has pledged €20 million in humanitarian aid through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for Afghanistan and neighboring countries, in order to support internally displaced Afghans, refugees, and returnees.