Convoys of Afghan migrants, fearing arrest and “humiliation,” are rushing to the border as Pakistan ramps up its crackdown on undocumented migrants, receiving significant public support. The government is pushing to deport 800,000 Afghans after canceling their residence permits — part of a two-phase deportation program. The first phase saw around 800,000 undocumented Afghans expelled since 2023.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, more than 24,665 Afghans have already left Pakistan since April 1, with 10,741 deported.
“People say the police will come and carry out raids. That is the fear. Everyone is worried about that,” Rahmat Ullah, an Afghan migrant in Karachi, told AFP.
“For a man with a family, nothing is worse than seeing the police take his women from his home. Can anything be more humiliating than this? It would be better if they just killed us instead,” said Nizam Gull, as he packed his belongings, preparing to return to Afghanistan.
Abdul Shah Bukhari, a community leader in one of Karachi’s largest informal Afghan settlements, described the mass departure of families heading for the Afghan border, about 700 kilometers away. He said people are now leaving voluntarily. “What is the need to cause distress or harassment?” Bukhari remarked.
‘Harassed Every Day’
Truck driver Ghulam Hazrat shared his experience of being harassed daily in Karachi. After days of police intimidation, he reached the Chaman border crossing. “We had to leave behind our home. We were being harassed every day.”
In Peshawar, police have taken their efforts to the minarets of mosques, using loudspeakers to order Afghans to leave, warning that their stay in Pakistan has expired and urging voluntary return to Afghanistan.
Warnings also target landlords. “Two police officers came to my house on Sunday and told me that if there are any Afghan nationals living here, they should be evicted,” Farhan Ahmad told AFP.
Human Rights Watch has condemned the use of “abusive tactics” to pressure Afghans into returning to Afghanistan, where they risk persecution from the Taliban and face severe economic hardship.
Since September 2023, thousands of undocumented Afghans have been forced to cross the border, fleeing police raids and home demolitions.
Widespread Support for Deportations
Despite the hardships faced by migrants, there is considerable public support in Pakistan for the deportation drive.
“They eat here, live here, but are against us. Terrorism is coming from there (Afghanistan), and they should leave; that is their country. We did a lot for them,” said Pervaiz Akhtar, a university teacher in Islamabad.
Muhammad Shafiq, a 55-year-old businessman, echoed these sentiments: “Come with a valid visa, and then come and do business with us.”
This sentiment reflects the government’s stance, which blames rising violence in border regions on “Afghan-backed perpetrators” and argues that Pakistan can no longer sustain such a large migrant population.
Political Motivations?
While the deportation campaign has strong public backing, some analysts believe it has political undertones. Relations between Pakistan and Kabul have soured since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
“The timing and manner of their deportation indicate it is part of Pakistan’s policy of mounting pressure on the Taliban,” said Maleeha Lodhi, former permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN. “This should have been done in a humane, voluntary, and gradual way.”
