ISLAMABAD: The UN refugee chief has urged Pakistan to stop sending Afghan refugees back home after a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan killed nearly 1,500 people.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said on X, “Given the circumstances, I appeal to the Government of Pakistan to pause the implementation of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.” He warned that Pakistan is forcing people to leave and sending them “back into a disaster zone.”
The appeal came as rescue teams in Afghanistan continued to struggle to reach survivors. The shallow 6.0-magnitude quake hit late Sunday night, destroying mud-brick houses while families were asleep. Authorities reported that the quake killed at least 1,469 people, injured more than 3,700, and affected over half a million, making it one of the deadliest in the country’s recent history.
Pakistan has hosted Afghans for more than 40 years, with many fleeing wars and unrest. Some were even born and raised in Pakistan, while others have been waiting to move to third countries. But in 2023, Islamabad began a mass crackdown, accusing Afghan refugees of involvement in militancy. Since then, Pakistan has forced more than 1.2 million Afghans to return, including over 443,000 this year alone, according to the UN.
The latest drive is targeting around 1.3 million refugees who hold UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards. A September 1 deadline was set for them to leave Pakistan or face arrest and deportation.
Since the deadline passed, thousands of families have been crossing back. At the Chaman border, over 4,000 people have left in recent days. At Torkham, more than 6,300 PoR cardholders returned on Tuesday alone, with nearly 63,000 going back since April.
Analysts believe Pakistan is using the expulsions to pressure Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, whom it accuses of sheltering militants behind rising border attacks, a charge the Taliban denies.
Grandi said that international help, including from Pakistan, is still “vital and welcome” as Afghanistan struggles to deal with the quake’s devastation.
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