- Says all government agencies engaged in crackdown on illegal migrants
QUETTA: Balochistan Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai on Wednesday revealed that the government had planned expatriation of as many as 1 million illegal immigrants by January 2024, saying second phase of the crackdown on undocumented foreigners had already been initiated for the purpose.
Addressing the media in Quetta on Wednesday, the caretaker provincial minister declared that those living under the delusion that they will dodge the crackdown were living in fool’s paradise, saying all the government agencies were engaged in the crackdown on the illegal migrants.
“Repatriation of unregistered Afghan nationals is continued via Chaman border but the process slowed down in the last few days,” Achakzai added.
More than 340,000 illegal migrants, mainly Afghans, have voluntarily left or been deported from Pakistan since the government announced its policy to deport undocumented refugees on October 5.
The interim government had announced in October that all illegal immigrants should leave Pakistan by the 1st of November or face forceful expulsion.
Thousands of Afghans are returning to their homeland on a daily basis through Chaman and Torkham borders.
Apart from other measures for the dignified return of Afghans to their country, transit camps equipped with facilities have been established in various districts for their temporary accommodation.
The decision to expel illegal foreigners was taken in an apex committee meeting on the National Action Plan (NAP) on October 3 after a deadly suicide blast in Balochistan’s Mastung, in which over 60 people lost their lives. In most of the recent terror incidents in Pakistan, Afghan nationals or soil was reportedly used.
According to a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), at least 271 militant attacks took place during the first half of 2023, resulting in the loss of 389 lives and injuring 656 individuals. Terror activities in the country soared by 79% during the period.
The United Nations (UN) has also said that refugees residing in Pakistan should be allowed to exit the country voluntarily and no pressure should be exerted on them.
Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees since the Soviet Union’s invasion in 1979.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data, approximately 1.33 million registered refugees hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, and 840,000 possess Afghan citizenship cards.
