Resurgence of Taliban Control: Afghans Forced Back Home as Pakistan Pushes Expulsion of 1.7 Million

Pakistan’s Deadline for Undocumented Migrants Sends Afghan Community into Chaos

KARACHI, Pakistan, Oct 31 (Reuters) – With the Nov. 1 deadline set by Pakistan for undocumented migrants to leave the country looming, Muhammad Rahim found himself on a bus from Karachi to the Afghan border. Rahim, a 35-year-old Afghan national who was born in Pakistan, married a Pakistani woman, and raised his Pakistan-born children in the port city, now faces the prospect of leaving the only home he has ever known.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan reported that around 60,000 Afghans have already returned from Pakistan since the government announced its expulsion plan on Oct 4. According to Abdul Mutaleb Haqqani, a spokesman for the Taliban refugee ministry, the number of returnees is three times higher than normal. The exodus has caused overcrowding at the Afghan settlements near Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area, with bus service operators like Azizullah having to add extra services to meet the demand.

Azizullah runs a bus service from Sohrab Goth to Afghanistan and explained, “Before, I used to run one bus a week, but now we have four to five a week.” The surge in departures has significantly affected the Afghan community, tearing families apart, and even causing Afghans with valid documents to leave due to increased harassment from Pakistani authorities.

Officials from both the Pakistani and Afghan governments were interviewed regarding the situation, though the Pakistani Interior Ministry did not provide a comment for Reuters. While the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, stated that the expulsion plan is in line with international norms and principles, advocates for the Afghan community argue that the move is unduly harsh and that Pakistan has been their only refuge from the economic hardship and social conservatism in Afghanistan.

Pakistan hosts over 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, of which about 1.7 million are undocumented, according to Islamabad. The majority of these migrants arrived in Pakistan after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, though a significant number have been residing there since the Soviet invasion in 1979. The recent threat of expulsion came after a series of suicide bombings, which the Pakistani government attributed to Afghans without providing evidence. Pakistan also accuses them of smuggling and other militant activities, which, combined with the strain on resources, prompted the decision to remove undocumented migrants.

However, the large-scale return of migrants poses significant challenges for Afghanistan as well. The influx has put additional strain on already limited resources, compounded by international sanctions on the banking sector and cuts in foreign aid after the Taliban takeover. The Afghan Ministry of Refugees plans to register returnees and temporarily accommodate them in camps, while the Taliban government intends to find jobs for them. However, with the unemployment rate having doubled since the Taliban’s rise to power and around two-thirds of the population in need of humanitarian aid, the situation in Afghanistan remains dire.

As the deadline approaches, fear and desperation grip the Afghan community in Pakistan. The UN refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have expressed concerns about the protection risks faced by women and girls forced to leave. Additionally, even Afghans with legal status in Pakistan report experiencing harassment from Pakistani authorities. While Islamabad claims it will not target those with valid documents, many who possess the necessary paperwork still feel compelled to leave out of fear of being separated from their families. The heightened pressure has driven many to make difficult decisions, such as Hajira, a widow in Sohrab Goth, who plans to leave with her sons and their families in order to avoid separation.

The situation remains uncertain for the Afghan migrants in Pakistan as the deadline approaches. The number of returnees is expected to rise significantly, leading to potential chaos in Afghan refugee camps. With economic hardship and limited opportunities awaiting them in Afghanistan, many still consider Pakistan their only home despite the impending expulsion.

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