Repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan: Causes and challenges

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant. For the latest news, click: theasianmirror.com/

The Afghan refugee problem mainly started in 1979 when the USSR was invited to Afghanistan by the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), led by Hafizullah Amin who himself came into power in 1978 after the overthrow of the Afghan President Mohammed Daoud Khan, by Saur revolution. One million Afghans entered Pakistan in 1979, and after one year, the number of Afghan refugees rose from one million to an estimated three million not only in Pakistan but also in Iran.

The question arises in our minds as to why Pakistan bears the burden of Afghan refugees. The answer to the above question is simple, as Pakistan is a signatory of the United Nations High Commissioner Refugee (UNHCR) which was established on 14 December 1950 by the United National General Assembly whose basic purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. The second largest wave of Afghan refugees entered Pakistan when the Taliban took over the government in 2021 and Pakistan became one of the largest refugee countries, approximately 4.4 million Afghan refugees were living in Pakistan before the Interim government of Pakistan announced on October 3, an illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan-asking all concerned to leave the country before 1 November.

The illegal immigrants of Afghan were not registered, they spreading Violence, terrorism in Pakistan and due to them Pakistan become the second largest state in terrorism-related deaths worldwide in 2022 and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group had carried destruction in Pakistan and also believed to have sanctuaries in Afghanistan. The question arises here about the origin of TTP and when, where and how and why TTP.

Caretaker interior minister Sarfraz Bugti’s speech about deporting Afghan refugees. “If they do not go…then all the law enforcement agencies in the provinces or federal government will be utilized to deport them. Here comes a thought in our mind that how Sarfraz Bugti said this kind of informal statement in an open media and how could he talk about Pakistan enforcement law agencies of all provinces whether we are not aware of Balochistan enforcement law agencies and their work, he also added that government would confiscate the property and assets of undocumented migrants.

Although the Afghan illegal immigrants are the reason behind instability in Pakistan. But Pakistan must act with proper planning and negotiate with the Afghanistan Government or with the United Nation High Commissioner Refugees UNHCR, giving them 28 days is not a proper plan. This will cause more hatred to the Pashtuns people of Pakistan toward their Governments.

The Repatriation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan may have a positive or negative impact on our country. Firstly, we analyze the positive impact. The population will reduce somehow which will be easy for the state to distribute the resources. A vacuum will be created in the market through which the local people of Pakistan takeover and the unemployment rate fills down. The illegal settlement occurring in NADRA and other government offices for illegal immigrants will reduce, the drug trafficking, human trafficking will slow down, and terrorism may stop for a while.

Smuggling of drugs, goods will be removed which will directly benefit the economy of Pakistan. But when we come into the negative impact. We come to know that, it will directly destroy the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan which is already not functional, it will spoil the international image of Pakistan, it will create internal instability because a large number of Pakistan population are Pashtuns, and they are supportive to Afghan refugees and blaming Pakistan government and establishment behind instabilities of Pakistan.

Pakistan as a vulnerable state with their own large population, politically, and internally unstable is unable to settle 1.7 million illegal immigrants. That’s why the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan will reduce the financial burden. Although the UNHCR is paying for Afghan refugees but only for registered ones. Following are the objective of this article, to analyze the current decision of interim government of Pakistan on October 3, 2023, to predict the future relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan and to identify the challenges face by Pakistan.

Why is Pakistan expelling Afghan Refugees? What happened when Pakistan suddenly decided to deport the illegal immigrants from Pakistan? What will be the future relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan?

Expelling Afghan refugees from Pakistan written by Sahil Dero in Jahangir’s World Time Magazine where he mentions a word, “Cauldron” which mean ‘a large kettle or boiler which is full and there is no more space and inside of cauldron material are falling out, the Afghan refugees are the inside material of kettle which Pakistan interim government planning to expel. There are 3.7 million Afghani refugees in Pakistan, 1.7 million are illegal immigrants or unregistered. Sahil Dero clarifies some of the reason why Pakistan Interim Government Deporting Afghan refugees, due to Afghans violence, terrorism is rising in Pakistan day by day and claimed that in Year 2023, out of 24 suicide bomb 14 were done by Afghani refugees.

Interview conducted with NUML professor; he is also Pashtun. He stated that the Issue of Afghan refugees must be resolved by two state diplomats and foreign minister through negotiations and they must use diplomatic means to settle this issue by peaceful mean and Pakistan must pursue long term policy with Afghanistan and establish good relations because it is in the foreign policy of Pakistan to have good relationship with its neighboring state and to have brotherly relations with Muslim state so Afghanistan is both a neighbor state and a Muslim state. He is 45-50 years old so he memorized the 1979, first wave of Afghan refugees entering into Pakistan and how Pakistan welcomes them, supports them to settle, and how the US helps Pakistan to manage these Afghan refugees.

Then he hypothesized about the decision of the Pakistan interim government. Because half of Afghani refugees which are present in Pakistan, were promised by third state like United State, United Kingdom, France and Germany to give them Visa and this is called Resettlement process in which third state after some legal process provide visa to this refugee but this process is time talking. So maybe this plan of the Pakistan interim government is to pressurize third states to provide visas to them because Pakistan is not alone responsible for instability, terrorism, disaster, violence and under development of Afghanistan but the western state is also responsible for the Afghanistan crisis and Afghan refugees.

What should Pakistan do to better handle the situation? On 3 Oct, Pakistan Caretaker government announced it will carry out mass deportation- known under domestic law as an illegal foreign Repatriation Plan. And deport 1.7 million Afghan refugees and seize their properties if they do not move till 1 November, which means Afghans have only 28s left. To settle all their issue and sell their property in whatever the buyer demand price
In Dr. Ewelina U. In The Ochab article “Pakistan Deports Afghan Refugees” he mentioned those groups who are at risk if they are pushed back to Taliban-run Afghanistan. And the religious minority may face serious threats if they forced to move, and Hazara Shia group were historically subjected to the Taliban if they deport, they face life threats from Taliban Government in Afghanistan, and journalist, human right defender, artist, women protestors, security personals are all at risk if Pakistan deport them,200 Afghan journalist at in Pakistan and waiting for resettlement.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed criticize the security of Pakistan for 14 suicide Bomb attacks in Pakistan in which Afghan refugees were involved and ask the interior government of Pakistan for prove of involvement of Afghans, and also ask them about who were 10 remaining Suicide bomber, he mentioned that since 2006 there was no need of any documents for Afghan refugees, then PoR Prove of Registration certificates issues to Afghan refugees to 1.4 million. In 2014 Afghan citizen card ACC issues to Afghan refugees but they expired and the government of Pakistan is not issuing them new cards and claiming that they are illegal immigrants and deporting them. He also criticizes the border management who take bribes to allow unregistered Afghani into the territory of Pakistan.