Volker Türk, the United Nations Human Rights Chief, voiced deep concern over reported abuses suffered by Afghan refugees in Pakistan amid the nation’s enforcement of mass deportation policies.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Türk expressed alarm over the reported mistreatment, stating, “The indiscriminate expulsion of Afghan individuals from Pakistan has reportedly involved mistreatment, encompassing physical abuse, unwarranted detentions, property damage, and coercive tactics.”
He urged Pakistani authorities to halt the repatriation initiative “until proper individual assessment protocols and other mandated safeguards under international law are in place.” Additionally, Türk called upon Islamabad to investigate the allegations of misconduct involving law enforcement personnel.
Efforts to obtain comments from Pakistani authorities by CNN remain ongoing.
Pakistan, home to over a million registered Afghan refugees, initiated a mass deportation campaign urging voluntary departures from the country by November 1.
As per UN records, more than 327,000 refugees have been repatriated to Afghanistan from Pakistan, with numerous departures resulting from apprehensions of potential arrests.
The UN has received distressing accounts detailing nighttime raids, confiscation of assets such as cash, jewelry, livestock, arbitrary arrests, and detentions of Afghan refugees carried out by local Pakistani law enforcement.
“Unwarranted arrests and detentions defy Pakistan’s commitments outlined in international law,” Türk emphasized.
The UN Human Rights Chief urged Pakistani authorities to ensure protection for individuals who could face persecution, torture, or irreparable harm in Afghanistan, in accordance with non-refoulement principles.
Expressing particular concern for the safety of women and girls subjected to involuntary repatriation, Türk highlighted limitations imposed by de facto authorities in Afghanistan, curtailing their rights to education, employment, freedom of movement, and public engagement.
Since the Taliban’s resurgence in August 2021, the radical Islamist group has shuttered girls’ schools, restricted women from university attendance, and, more recently, enforced closures of beauty establishments and prohibited women from visiting prominent national parks.
As of the conclusion of 2022, Pakistan hosted more than 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees and approximately 427,000 individuals in situations akin to refugees from Afghanistan, according to the UN’s refugee agency.
However, their presence in Pakistan has perpetually stirred controversy, marked by police crackdowns and recurring deportation threats.
Pakistani authorities have depicted these measures as a response to tackling “illegal immigration.”
A task force was established to apprehend individuals with counterfeit identification cards and illegal properties procured through fraudulent documentation. The national database and registration body were directed to annul any fraudulent identity cards, validating cases via DNA tests.
Afghan refugees have sought asylum in Pakistan following the Soviet invasion in 1979, constituting one of the world’s largest refugee crises at the time. Another significant influx occurred in 2021 after the Taliban’s seizure of Kabul, prompting thousands of Afghans to cross into Pakistan, often lacking complete documentation while awaiting visas to third countries, notably the United States.
