Kabul decries Pakistan acts against Afghan refugees, urges protection
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Afghanistan has issued a statement calling for the protection of its refugees in Pakistan, following a crackdown resulting in the deportation of tens.
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Afghan refugees settle in a camp near the Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham, Afghanistan, on Nov. 4, 2023. (AP)
On Sunday, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan protested hostile actions taken against Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
The protest followed raids by Pakistani police on the homes of Afghan refugees in Quetta and other areas of Balochistan province on Saturday, subjecting them to mistreatment and forcing them out of their houses. Among those detained, the ministry reported, were 65 children and 30 women, in addition to the men.
In a statement, the ministry condemned the mistreatment of Afghan refugees, calling on international organizations to exert effort, protect them, and help them come back home "with dignity."
This comes after the refugees were deported to Afghanistan through the border crossing in Spin Buldak, located in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar.
The ministry further stressed that the Pakistani government had repeatedly violated international and Islamic law through its actions against refugees, as has been documented over the past two years.
International organizations and official data estimate that three million Afghan refugees are currently in Pakistan.
In 2023, Pakistani officials ordered 700,000 Afghan people to leave the country owing to their alleged involvement in terrorism or other illegal activities. According to the Pakistani authorities, the migrants were ordered to leave or face deportation.
