The world shrank to a global village with the advent of the concepts of globalization and free mobility. The global population began to mobilize due to the ease of travel and transportation. Individuals began traveling to the nations of their choice and, in a variety of situations, settled there. Among these are the many circumstances of seeking asylum and becoming a refugee.
The United Nations 1948 adopted the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. A person seeking protection from persecution can apply for asylum under Article 14 of this proclamation in any nation on earth. Article 13 makes the case that a person is free to relocate and live in any state. These two pieces emphasize how having the freedom to travel and look for refugee as significant human rights.
Pakistan has not ratified any international conventions protecting the rights of refugees or laws pertaining to refugees abroad. Regarding the rights of refugees, Pakistan is not required to follow any international norms. Thus, a collaboration agreement was signed in 1993 by the Pakistani government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. In accordance with this agreement, the UN agency is authorized to register and care for the refugees on behalf of the Pakistani government.
Amnesty International claims that during Taraki and Amin’s communist administration, Afghans began relocating to Pakistan. Approximately 400,000 individuals visited Pakistan during the time. Eventually, following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, this number increased. Statistics show that at that time, Pakistan had a population of over 4 million and was still expanding (Amnesty 2019).
Many of them returned to their home countries after the war, but the majority remained in Pakistan. Following the recent events in Afghanistan, which included the US withdrawal and the Taliban takeover, approximately 600,000 individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including journalists, human rights activists, educators, musicians, and vulnerable populations, fled to Pakistan in order to seek asylum and avoid persecution.
In Pakistan, there are four types of Afghans. The POR (Proof of Registration) card holders come first. The UNHCR began its registration campaign in the early 2000s. The individuals with POR cards are the Afghan refugees who self-registered between 2006 and 2007.
According to Qaiser Khan Afridi, a spokesman for the UHNCR, there are currently just 1.3 million, compared to 2.1 to 2.2 million at the time of the count. Holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) make up the second group. They were registered in 2017 as a consequence of Pakistan’s domestic developments, specifically the NAP. With the assistance of the UN organization IOM, about 8,40,000 undocumented individuals were able to obtain documentation.
At UNHCR, both of these groups are referred to as “refugees,” and they are also registered with NADRA. Those refugees who did not register themselves even after the 2017 drive fall into the third group. The Pakistani authorities said that they counted between 4 and 5 lacs.
The fourth group consists of people who, in order to avoid persecution by the new government following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, migrated to Pakistan. According to UNHCR, they number about six lac and are classified as “asylum seekers – a step before becoming legal refugees.” Those who are not registered are the last two.
Afghanistan has experienced an extremely difficult past. The issue has become much more complicated due to the war-torn nation and the capture of the de facto government by an extremist organization. Numerous political, social, and economic issues are currently plaguing the nation on a national and worldwide scale. There are food shortages and terrorism in many locations, and the economy is not growing.
Furthermore, there was a strong earthquake there not too long ago. The nation is dealing with issues related to human rights and humanitarianism. Women’s rights are being widely violated in the nation when they are prevented from entering public spaces, colleges, and educational institutions. Many people, including singers, journalists, and activists, escaped to Pakistan in 2021 in order to avoid persecution.
The Pakistani government recently made the decision to return the unregistered refugees to their country of origin. The BBC claims that there are up to 1.7 million people in this demographic. (Davis 2023) It violates many people’s human rights to push this enormous population back under these trying conditions.
“Many of them have no land to go and live in, winter is approaching, they do not have basic facilities there, and the country is also not in good economic conditions,” the UNHCR spokeswoman stated in an interview held in November 2023. Thus, UNHCR has serious concerns about this.
These undocumented immigrants were given till November 1st by the Pakistani government to go. Although the deportation campaign is limited to undocumented and unlawful refugees, the reality on the ground is quite different. There is also harassment and pressure directed towards the legally registered refugees. Qaiser states that while the UNHCR has received reports of this kind from all over the nation, the number is comparatively higher in Punjab and lower in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Furthermore, he contended that the purpose of this is to force people to make a choice and return willingly. The UNHCR has adopted a variety of actions, including advocacy, information sharing, counseling, and programs for legal support (should they be persecuted), as well as providing assistance through the NGO SHARP.
In response to a query concerning the difficulties these migrants are having accessing food and shelter, medical care, and sanitation and health issues, Qaiser stated that UNHCR is not currently working at the border. The UNHCR was told by the Pakistani authorities that these amenities would be available at the border. Despite these poor management, UNHCR is still keeping an eye on the situation at the border and may intervene at a later time.
Following more than 40 years of sheltering these migrants, the Pakistani government made the difficult decision to act in this way in order to further its political, social, and economic objectives. The financial strain Pakistan’s government has been carrying for years would lessen as a result of the expulsion.
Focusing on this susceptible group can lead to a gradual growth of the nation’s economy. Given that a portion of this refugee community has a history of involvement in social crimes, the government’s goal is to reduce crime overall. Finally, we discuss the political goal the government is attempting to achieve, which is to persuade the Taliban regime—formerly referred to as Pakistani stooges—to support their foreign policy objectives.
Concerned observers of the situation include UNHCR. The UNHCR has requested that the government reconsider its strategy since it will place the vulnerable population in an extremely challenging circumstance. The UNHCR spokeswoman claims that they communicate with the government on a regular basis. They have informed the appropriate authorities to review their policy or devise an appropriate plan to ensure the seamless execution of this deportation campaign.
