Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Pakistan has warned that Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement in third countries will be deported unless their cases are expedited, officials said Monday.
Around 20,000 Afghans remain stranded in Pakistan after former U.S. President Donald Trump suspended refugee programs last month. Many had been approved for U.S. relocation due to their work with the American government, media, and aid organizations. However, Trump’s administration halted the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program from Jan. 27 for at least three months.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided that Afghans awaiting resettlement will be expelled unless host nations process their applications swiftly, according to two security officials. They added that those in Islamabad and Rawalpindi would be evicted, and if not relocated abroad, they would be sent back to Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded to the development. Last month, it stated that Afghans awaiting relocation were supposed to leave by September.
While 1.45 million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan legally with their stay extended until June, officials said Pakistan will persist with its crackdown on undocumented foreigners.
Since 2023, approximately 800,000 Afghans have either returned voluntarily or been deported, despite criticism from U.N. agencies, human rights groups, and the Taliban.
