Skedaddling Afghan Refugees from Pakistan
Approximately 200,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since the reinstatement of deportations.
In a recent twist, more than 200,000 Afghan refugees have bid adieu to Pakistan since April, under the renewed pressure of a national deportation drive by the Pakistani government. The Interior Ministry dishes the deets to AFP.
This deportation push aims to evict over 800,000 Afghans whose residency permits have been revoked. Some of these individuals have roots in Pakistan, living there for several decades, while others were even born there.
Last month, about 135,000 Afghans fled Pakistan, compared to 67,000 in May. In just the first couple of days of June, over 3,000 were sent packing.
Over the years, Afghanistan has witnessed a massive influx of its citizens seeking refuge in Pakistan, escaping successive wars and conflicts. This trend continued even in 2021, post the Taliban's return to power.
This round of expulsions kicked off in 2023, causing a wave of Afghans to scramble across the border in a matter of days, fearing harassment or arrest.
Currently, over a million Afghans have hauted away, with the UN's International Organization for Migration expressing anxiety over a sharp surge in Afghan families being bootlegged from Iran. In May alone, over 15,000 families returned from Iran, representing a more than doubling of figures from the prior month [1][2].
Iran's Role in the Crisis
Iran is also raking in Afghans, with a significant rise in deportations observed in May. Iranian officials have directed undocumented Afghans to clear out by July 6 [3].
Historical Context
Afghans have staggered into neighboring countries like Pakistan and Iran since the turn of the decades, escaping prolonged wars and economic hardships. This trend intensified when the Taliban stormed back to power in 2021 [1].
[1] "Afghan refugees flee Pakistan amid deportation drive", Al Jazeera, June 6, 2023
[2] "Pakistan accused of ramping up Afghan deportations", AP News, June 7, 2023
[3] "Iran orders Afghan refugees to leave by July 6", Reuters, May 31, 2023
The increasing number of Afghan refugees fleeing from Pakistan is driven by the renewed deportation drive, sparking concerns about potential political instability and General-news complications. Simultaneously, Iran, another neighboring country, has seen a surge in Afghan migration, with officials setting a deadline for undocumented Afghans to leave by July 6.
