Greater than 450,000 Afghans have left the nation since Pakistani authorities launched a deportation drive in October.
Islamabad, Pakistan – The Pakistani authorities has introduced that undocumented Afghans awaiting paperwork to resettle to a 3rd nation will likely be allowed to remain in Pakistan for 2 extra months.
The extension of the deadline on Wednesday from the tip of this yr to February 29 comes amid Pakistan’s drive to expel multiple million foreigners residing within the nation with out paperwork.
In accordance with the United Nations refugee company (UNHCR), greater than 450,000 individuals have returned to neighbouring Afghanistan for the reason that deportation campaign started in early October. Ninety p.c of them did so “voluntarily”, in keeping with the Pakistani authorities, however the UNHCR says they cited fear of arrest as the first purpose for his or her choice to depart.
Asserting the extension, interim info minister Murtaza Solangi mentioned anyone overstaying the brand new deadline could be fined $100 month-to-month, with a cap set at $800.
“These measures were aimed at encouraging the Afghans residing illegally in Pakistan to obtain legal documents or finalise evacuation agreements as soon as possible in a third country,” Solangi added.
The announcement adopted a go to to Pakistan by US State Division officers to debate the problem of Afghan refugees. It’s estimated that just about 25,000 Afghans require paperwork for resettlement in america.
Pakistan estimates that greater than 1.7 million Afghan nationals have lengthy lived within the nation with out paperwork, with the bulk arriving in several waves for the reason that Soviet invasion in 1979.
The final such main inflow of an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 individuals befell two years in the past after the Taliban took management of Afghanistan.
Pakistani authorities have cited a dramatic surge in violence this yr – there have been greater than 600 assaults within the first 11 months of 2023 – for the deportation drive.
Interim Inside Minister Sarfraz Bugti mentioned in October that 14 out of 24 suicide assaults within the nation over that interval have been carried out by Afghan nationals. He didn’t present any proof.
The Taliban has denied any accusations of offering shelter to fighters, sustaining their place that Afghanistan’s soil shouldn’t be getting used for cross-border violence.
