22,000 Afghan nationals deported from Pakistan’s Punjab in October

Lahore, Oct 21 (PTI) Pakistan’s Punjab government this month deported around 22,000 Afghan nationals residing in the province illegally besides closing down the last Afghan refugee camp, a Punjab police spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The third-phase of the operation to repatriate illegally residing foreign (Afghan) nationals from Punjab has been launched.

“The government has deported this month about 22,000 Afghans living in the province without legal status,” he said in a statement.

The spokesperson said among those deported are 6,000 people with residential proof, 11,000 with Afghan Citizen Cards, and 5,041 found residing in Punjab illegally. Some 423 individuals are currently held at designated holding points.

He said the Punjab government last month had de-notified the last Afghan refugee camp in Mianwali’s Kot Chandna, 325 kilometres from Lahore.

However, four such camps are still functioning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 10 in Balochistan.

He said before the launch of the third phase, the Punjab government had repatriated some 43,000 Afghan nationals from April to September, as part of Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan (IFRP).

He said security has been placed on high alert to ensure the complete removal of all illegal residents.

“The Punjab government is still having 46 functional holding centres in the province, including five in Lahore, and holds illegally staying Afghan nationals until they are transported to the Torkham Border for crossing over to Afghanistan,” the spokesperson said and added Afghans residing in Pakistan shall have to leave except those having valid visas.

The UN’s refugee agency reported that more than 3.5 million Afghans had been living in Pakistan, including around 700,000 people who came after the Taliban takeover in 2021. The UN estimated that half of them were undocumented.

The Shehbaz Sharif government said the high number of refugees is posing a risk to national security and causing pressure on public services, therefore, they have to be deported.

On Sunday, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire and setting up of “mechanisms” to ensure lasting peace after days of violent clashes along the border that left several soldiers, civilians, and terrorists dead on both sides.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained since 2023, with Islamabad repeatedly raising concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants carrying out cross-border attacks. PTI MZ GSP GSP