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KABUL – Pakistan announced its plans on Thursday to establish “holding centers” for undocumented Afghan refugees as the November 1 deportation deadline approaches for hundreds of thousands of Afghans residing in the country. The move has raised concerns and led to disputes between the Afghan and Pakistani governments.
The caretaker interior minister, Sarfraz Bugti, explained, “These centers have been named as ‘holding centers.’ Illegal immigrants will be kept there. They will be provided with medical facilities and food. Children, women, and elders will be treated with special respect. But at the same time, after November 1st, we will not compromise on illegal immigrants.”
Feroz Jamal, a spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, revealed that from Wednesday onwards, undocumented Afghans in the province would be detained and sent to one of three centers established for processing. These centers will serve as temporary facilities, and when border officials have space, those detained will be deported.
Two of these centers resemble aid tent camps, while the third will be set up in government staff accommodation, with each capable of holding up to 5,000 people. This move comes as Pakistan grapples with increased attacks that the government attributes to militants operating from Afghanistan, though Kabul routinely denies these allegations. Additionally, there is a growing anti-Afghan sentiment in Pakistan as the nation faces economic challenges.
The history of Afghan migration to Pakistan is extensive, with millions crossing into the country over decades due to conflict, including the Soviet invasion, civil war, and the US-led occupation. Among them, approximately 1.3 million are registered refugees, while another 880,000 possess legal status to remain in Pakistan, according to the United Nations. However, Pakistan contends that 1.7 million Afghans are in the country illegally.
Since the Taliban assumed power in Kabul in August 2021 and implemented their strict interpretation of Islamic law, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have sought asylum in third countries. The recent roundup of undocumented Afghans by Pakistani authorities has led to allegations of indiscriminate arrests, disregard for valid documents, and extortion.
As the deportation deadline nears, many, like Saeed Ahmed, who was born in Pakistan to Afghan refugee parents, are calling for a delay in deportations, particularly with a harsh winter approaching in Afghanistan. They argue that a more practical timeline is needed to allow businesses and lives to be wrapped up in Pakistan.
In Balochistan, at the southern border crossing of Chaman, Pakistanis who frequently cross between the two countries have staged a days-long sit-in to protest tighter border controls, which now require passports and visas instead of identity cards. Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, Afghan authorities have implemented the same rules for Pakistanis.
Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are grappling with economic hardships, further complicated by their strained relationship and challenges related to migration and border controls.
