Pakistan expels over 850 Afghan families in single day

Kabul, April 14 (IANS) Pakistan continues to expel Afghan families through the Torkham border crossing in eastern Nangarhar and the Spin Boldak border crossing in southern Kandahar province.

On Sunday, the Pakistani agencies expelled a total of 852 Afghan families with 4,567 members, Afghanistan's High Commission for Addressing Returnees Problems said in a statement on Monday.

On Saturday, Pakistan had expelled a total of 6,500 Afghan refugees, the commission detailed.

At the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the commission provided temporary shelters, nourishment, water, medical care, and transportation services to their respective provinces for the returnees, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Pakistani government is set to deport three million Afghans to their home country in 2025.

Reportedly, about seven million Afghan refugees, most of whom are undocumented migrants, are currently living abroad, with most living in Afghanistan's neighbouring Pakistan and Iran.

The Afghan interim government has been repeatedly calling upon Afghan refugees to end living abroad as refugees and return home to contribute to the rebuilding of their war-torn homeland.

Forcibly deported Afghans stated that they were arrested by Pakistani police while at work and deported to Afghanistan, leaving behind their businesses and family members.

"I ran a small hotel business at the fruit market. The police raided me, detained me in Haji Camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for four nights, and now deported me via Torkham," and Afghan deportee Gul Mohammad was quoted as saying by Afghan media outlet TOLO News, last week.

"They arrested us while we were working. Whatever money we had, they took it. They brought us to the police station and treated us harshly. They don't see us as good neighbours," another deportee, Aqakhan, stated.

Pakistan's deportation policy has come under scrutiny, with several international organisations condemning the act. They have raised concern over the grave risks faced by the refugees upon their return amid uncertainties in Afghanistan.

--IANS

int/as