The South Asia office of Amnesty International has launched a new campaign calling for the cancellation of the deportation program for Afghan migrants from Pakistan.
In a statement, the office said that the aim of this campaign is to raise the voices of Afghan citizens who are at risk of illegal deportation from Pakistan.
The statement quotes Babu Ram Pant, the regional deputy for South Asia at Amnesty International, as saying: “Afghan citizens, including refugees and asylum seekers, have been living in fear and anxiety since the announcement of the phased deportation plan by Pakistani authorities in October 2023. Many of these Afghans have been residing in Pakistan for over four decades.”
He further added: “The government of Pakistan is now seriously threatening their lives by insisting on policies that contradict its human rights commitments—especially the principle of non-refoulement.”
These statements come as the forced deportation process began three days ago in Peshawar.
Additionally, Ali Amin Gandapur, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, labeled the federal government’s policy towards Afghan migrants as misguided during a press conference last Thursday.
It is noteworthy that following the current regime’s takeover in Afghanistan, a large number of civil activists, human rights defenders, women’s rights advocates, journalists, LGBTQ+ individuals, former military personnel, and Afghans who collaborated with foreign forces in Afghanistan have fled to Pakistan and Iran due to fears of retaliation or to seek asylum in European and American countries. Some of them are still awaiting the processing of their asylum requests.
Over the past three and a half years, Iran and Pakistan have forcibly deported thousands of migrants and imposed strict policies against them in these countries.
Meanwhile, Iran and Pakistan have prohibited the employment of Afghan workers in several provinces and have intensified the process of forcibly deporting asylum seekers.
During this time, extensive campaigns against Afghan migrants have been launched on social media by Iranian and Pakistani users.
