23 days left for illegal Afghan nationals to leave Pakistan

The management of the private housing societies in the federal capital has distributed pamphlets to houses, flats and business centres with directions for the owners to issue eviction notices to foreigners staying illegally, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

The owners have been warned of stern action if foreigners residing illegally in houses or flats during an operation.

It is to be noted here that 23 days have been left for the Afghan nationals staying illegally to leave Pakistan as the deadline of October 31, 2023, is drawing nearer.

Otherwise, law enforcement agencies will arrest and deport them from the country.

As the deadline of October 31 set by the authorities for the deportation of Afghan nationals and other foreigners staying illegally in the country approaches, the government has tightened the noose around these illegal immigrants from Karachi to Khyber with the UN and IOM offering to register and manager such persons, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

In a major development, the federal government has directed the chief secretaries of all four provinces to compile complete data of Afghan nationals staying illegally in the country and submit it to the Ministry of Interior before the expiry of the deadline..

The secretaries have been asked to gather information about the total number of Afghans living in the country.

Besides that, they have also been directed to ascertain how many of them have visas and PORs.

UNHCR and @UNmigration are appealing to Pakistan to continue its protection of all vulnerable Afghans who have sought safety in the country and could be at imminent protection risk if forced to return.https://t.co/ijtC9bYphd

— UNHCR Asia-Pacific (@UNHCRAsia) October 7, 2023

In this connection, all secretaries will chair meetings in their provinces and give assignments to their subordinates.

On the other hand, Islamabad Police have completed geo-tagging of Afghan nationals living in different parts of the federal capital.

As many as 38 Afghan nationals were rounded up in a police operation in Blue Area on Saturday.

Police said that all these persons did not have any documents with them.

Sources told 24News that the police had also completed survey of the properties owned by these Afghans. 

Similarly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), authorities will collect the data of Afghans living in the province in collaboration with the FIA, NADRA, Special Branch and intelligence agencies.

Special teams will be constituted in all districts of the province which will carry out a targeted operation based on the lists provided to them.

Action will also be taken against the officials who facilitated the issuance of computerized national identity cards (CNICs) to Afghan nationals.

Likewise, crackdown against illegal Afghan immigrants living in Quetta city continues as the authorities captured two dozen of them for violating the country’s immigration rules.

A day earlier, on Friday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had said that all illegal Afghans must leave Pakistan by October 31; otherwise the law will take its own course.

The authorities started a clampdown on the illegal Afghan nationals after civilian and military leadership had taken the decision at the apex committee meeting to launch a massive operation against these people.

The Government of Pakistan is strictly implementing its decision to expel all illegal immigrants from the country and it has launched a stringent crackdown on the aliens having no legal status.

UN, IOM offer to help

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Saturday that they “stand ready” to provide support in registering and managing Afghan nationals.

The statement comes amidst the government’s crackdown on illegal immigrants residing across the country.

In a joint statement, both UN agencies stated they had a “longstanding and strong collaboration” with Pakistan and stood ready to “provide support in developing a comprehensive and sustainable mechanism to register and manage Afghan nationals, including those who may be in need of international protection”.

It added that the UNHCR and IOM said they were appealing to Pakistan to “continue its protection of all vulnerable Afghans who have sought safety in the country and could be at imminent risk if forced to return”.

UNHCR and IOM acknowledge the Government's sovereign prerogative over domestic policies, its need to manage populations on its territory, and its obligations to ensure public safety and security.

UNHCR and IOM have a longstanding and strong collaboration with the Government of Pakistan and stand ready to provide support in developing a comprehensive and sustainable mechanism to register and manage Afghan nationals, including those who may be in need of international protection.

UNHCR and IOM appreciate Pakistan’s generous hospitality towards Afghan nationals for over four decades, despite challenges, and repeats the call for all returns to be voluntary, safe and dignified — without any pressure, to ensure protection for those seeking safety. The forced repatriation of Afghan nationals has the potential to result in severe human rights violations, including the separation of families and deportation of minors. 

UNHCR and IOM continue to call on all countries to suspend forcible returns of Afghan nationals and ensure any possible returns to the country take place in a safe, dignified and voluntary manner.

Reporters: Farzana Siddique, Amir Shehzad, Isa Tarin, Aajiz Jamali and Awais Kiyani