Pakistan denies extension for Afghan refugees, orders deportations in twin cities

The Pakistani government has rejected the Afghan ambassador's request to extend the Feb. 28 repatriation deadline and ordered the federal law enforcement to conduct widespread deportations of Afghan refugees in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The decision affects thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan's twin cities, including those awaiting visa processing for departure by March 31. Many are former U.S. and NATO allies who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

"While we have not endorsed the message, we were made aware of this information and believed it was crucial to allow the community time to prepare," a UNHCR spokesperson told Nukta. "UNHCR continues to advocate with the government on behalf of those in need."

An Afghan refugee provides biometric verification at a holding center near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. AFP

The Afghan embassy released a statement on Wednesday saying that Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been subjected to arrests, searches, and police orders to relocate to other parts of Pakistan.

"This process of detaining Afghans, which began without any formal announcement, has not been officially communicated to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad through any formal correspondence," the embassy said.

The Foreign Office of Pakistan's spokesperson issued a statement that said, "We have noted the remarks made by the Afghan Chargé d'Affaires in Islamabad about Pakistan's Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan," arguing their assertions regarding the mistreatment of Afghan nationals are misplaced.

"I would like to remind him that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades with respect and dignity, while extending traditional hospitality, sharing its resources and services such as education and health, even with very little international support," the spokesperson said.

Afghans awaiting transfer to US snubbed

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the State Department office overseeing Afghan resettlement in the United States has been instructed to prepare closure plans by April, according to a U.S. official, a leading advocate, and two sources familiar with the directive. This move could prevent an estimated 200,000 people from starting new lives in America.

According to the report, approximately 25,000 Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the war and hold Special Immigration Visas are currently in Pakistan, and they will be denied entry to the U.S. and UK.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Afghan refugee told Nukta that their lives are in danger in Afghanistan and they are facing numerous challenges in Pakistan. "We are in misery because our visas have been canceled by the USA even though we worked with NATO forces when they were in Afghanistan," he said, adding, "I'm paying PKR 140,000 for a family of seven each month for visa renewal."

Refugees plead for more time

Raza Sakhi, an Afghan refugee who has owned a business in Islamabad for 28 years, told Nukta that Taliban forces are targeting not only Afghans who helped NATO forces in difficult situations, but also those who have lived in Pakistan for two generations. "We can't go back to Afghanistan now and start over again. Our request to the government of Pakistan is to give Afghans time to repatriate and create a smooth procedure that would be beneficial for everyone," he said.

Speaking to Nukta, Khushal Khan, a member of the Central Organizing Committee of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), discussed the situation of Afghan refugees. The NDM is a regional political party in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the majority of Afghan refugees first arrive and settle.

Khan said the responsibility lies not only with international rights organizations but also with the United States, which maintained a presence in Afghanistan for over two decades and played a significant role there. He emphasized that Afghans who assisted U.S. forces during that period cannot be abandoned now that Afghanistan has a new government. "The U.S. can't ignore their role in Afghanistan and definitely can't leave behind folks who helped them," he said.