Pakistan has opened more border centers to expedite the return of tens of thousands of undocumented Afghan nationals, according to an official, despite calls from refugee groups to reconsider its mass expulsion plans.
Facilities at the Torkham border crossing in northwestern Pakistan, where most immigrants are re-entering Afghanistan, have been increased threefold to accommodate the rising number of returnees. This move follows a deadline set by the federal government to the illegal refugees to leave.
The sudden influx of Afghan returnees has raised concerns, with reports of hardships and uncertainty over their future. While some returnees have expressed frustration and claimed that Pakistani officials accepted bribes for their repatriation, authorities deny these allegations.
The caretaker government in Pakistan has rejected calls from the United Nations, rights groups, and Western embassies to reconsider its plan to expel over one million of the four million Afghans residing in the country. The Taliban-run administration in Afghanistan has set up temporary transit camps to provide food and medical assistance to the returning Afghans.
According to Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner for the Khyber district, 19,744 Afghans crossed the border on Thursday, out of a total of 147,949 since the government announced the deadline. Over 35,000 undocumented Afghans have left through the Chaman border.
Authorities have stated that they are open to delaying repatriation for individuals with health or other issues that would prevent them from traveling. In an effort to ease the process, Islamabad has also relaxed the biometric requirement for Afghan women and children, saving them from hours-long procedures at the borders.
