Rights body urges Pak government to stop "tragic deportation" of Afghan refugees

Kabul [Afghanistan], June 12 : The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) on Sunday urged Pakistan to stop the "tragic deportation" of Afghan refugees, reported Khaama Press.

It stated that the forcible deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is devastating, putting many people's lives in danger.

According to AIHRC, among the deported refugees are a number of human rights activists, protesting women, prosecutors, former government military personnel, and media activists.

Over the last week, Pakistani authorities arrested and detained hundreds of Afghan migrants from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and other cities in Pakistan, as per Khaama Press.

Khaama Press is an Afghanistan-based news organisation established in 2010.

Following the deportation of hundreds of Afghan refugees, AIHRC urged the Pakistani government to stop arresting, harassing, and extraditing Afghan migrants, who have been the primary victims of Afghanistan's regime transition, war, and political instability.

In a statement, AIHRC encouraged the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to hold substantive conversations with key Pakistani government organisations in order to put an end to the repression of Afghan refugees.

According to AIHRC, the special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Pakistan's Human Rights Commission, and other influential regional and international organisations should investigate the human rights condition of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Following the Taliban's return in August 2021, hundreds of Afghans fled to Pakistan, fearing persecution and death threats from the Taliban. However, human rights organisations and refugee advocacy groups are deeply concerned about the detention and forcible repatriation of Afghan refugees, reported Khaama Press.

More than 2,000 Afghan refugees returned to the country from Iran, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported citing the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR).

At least 534 Afghan refugees visited Afghanistan through Islam Qala in Western Herat province, according to the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR). It further said that at least 288 of the 2000 returnees were introduced to the International Office for Migration (IOM) to receive basic necessary aid.

The number of Afghan refugees returning to Afghanistan from Iran has increased in recent months at a never-before-seen rate due to multiple reasons, Khaama Press reported.

Earlier, Taliban's head of the refugee department of Nimruz Mawlavi Abdullah Reyaz said that over 65,000 migrants have travelled back to Afghanistan through the Pul-e-Abresham crossing point over the past month, according to a Khaama Press report.

Meanwhile, the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that more than 527,000 Afghan refugees had returned to Afghanistan in 2022.

It further said that Afghans either left Iran voluntarily or forcibly. However, the UNHCR said that an ongoing return of Afghan refugees from neighbouring nations is closely related to the rising inflation and lack of economic possibilities in the host countries.

Earlier on May 5, as many as 2,106 Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan from Iran through the Islam Qala border in western Herat province, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported citing the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation.

In a series of tweets, the Refugee and Repatriation Ministry said these migrants returned to Afghanistan on June 3, Khaama Press reported. According to Taliban officials, at least 193 returnees were taken to International Office for Migration (IOM) for receiving basic necessary aid.