Pakistan suspends deportation of Afghan migrants for “humanitarian reasons”

Afghan returnees in Afghanistan. Photo: WFP

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan has temporarily suspended the deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants following talks with Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Grandi ended his three-day visit on Tuesday by calling for “intensified efforts to find more long-term solutions” for Afghans living in Pakistan.

In a statement after the visit, UNHCR acknowledged the suspension of the “plan for the return of illegal aliens” and asked for assurances that this plan would remain on hold.

Citing a senior Pakistani official, VOA reported that the deportations had been halted, but the official did not specify how long the suspension would last.

“Our message to Grandi was that the international community should assume its responsibility to care for and repatriate Afghan refugees. It is a shared responsibility and the entire burden should not be left to Pakistan,” the official said, according to VOA.

Pakistani and UN officials say the deportation stop was made for “humanitarian reasons” as the economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating.

Pakistan began deporting undocumented Afghan immigrants last November. IOM figures show that Pakistan has deported nearly 640,000 Afghans during this period. On Monday, July 8 alone, nearly 1,000 Afghan migrants were deported, according to the Taliban-controlled Refugee Ministry.

During his visit, Grandi met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other high-ranking politicians and spoke in particular about the fate of the approximately three million Afghans in Pakistan.

Of these, about 1.3 million are officially registered refugees, nearly 900,000 have Afghan citizenship, and the rest are undocumented or have expired visas while awaiting asylum in third countries after fleeing the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Grandi’s visit underscores the ongoing challenges facing Afghan refugees and the urgent need for international cooperation to address their plight.

While the deportation ban provides temporary relief, it underlines the need for a comprehensive, long-term solution.

Following the fall of the previous government in Afghanistan in August 2021, more than 600,000 Afghans fled to Pakistan, many of them fearing the dangers posed by the Taliban.