As the Pakistani government persists in deporting illegal immigrants from the country, a multitude of Afghan nationals find themselves grappling with significant challenges at the border crossings on both sides.
Among them, Sadaam Khan, an Afghan resident in Karachi, resorted to desperate measures by paying approximately 5 lakhs PKR to a transport truck to transport his 15-member family to the Torkham Border crossing. This decision came after he sold off his household belongings, driven by the fear of potential apprehension by Pakistani authorities.
However, Sadaam's hopes were dashed upon arrival at the Torkham border. He was informed that the truck he had hired for the journey would not be permitted to cross, as the driver lacked the necessary visa and authorization to enter Afghanistan.
With no alternative in sight, Sadaam and his family were left with no choice but to offload their belongings and await their fate at the border crossing.
“It has been two days since we are sitting here. We are here with family, kids and women. There is no shelter here at the border. There is no facility to pray, no arrangements for food or water. No toilets for women and girls to use. This is a torture to my family. I came here fearing arrest. I was born in Pakistan; my kids were born in Pakistan. I have lived here for at least 45 years. And now, they gave us just one month to leave… and when we are leaving, they insult us and our dignity," he added.
The process of arresting and deporting illegal Afghan nationals from Pakistan was initiated on November 1, leading to significant developments in the situation. So far, a total of 203,639 Afghans have voluntarily repatriated to Afghanistan during this process. Alarmingly, among these individuals, at least 5,085 Afghan nationals lacked any form of legal documentation.
The Pakistan government has set a daunting goal of repatriating at least 1.7 million illegal Afghan nationals, reflecting the scale of the operation.
Experts posit that the expulsion of illegal immigrants from the country is largely seen as a response to the perceived inaction of the Taliban regime regarding the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned outfit that has sowed terror in Pakistan.
However, it is evident that Afghan nationals who have called Pakistan home for decades are encountering mistreatment by authorities on border crossings. Even after crossing into Afghanistan, they face an uncertain future, often starting with the challenging task of settling into makeshift tent villages.
Anayat Ullah, for instance, made the journey into Afghanistan and, for the past two days, has been living in a tent with his family near Torkham. He shares that he, along with thousands of others, has endured mistreatment on both sides of the border, underscoring the human cost of these large-scale repatriations.
“Pakistani officials took money, kept my things and told me to leave with a very small amount of things and some cash. When I came to Afghanistan; their officials came and took my phone, all the cash, as well the remaining things. Now, my family of nine kids and women, is living in a tent here. There is no facility of drinking water. No facility of bathroom or toilets. And if we ask the Afghan officials, they abuse us and even mistreat our families. It feels like we have been robbed by both. Pakistan doesn’t keep us and here, our so called homeland.. we still feel like refugees”, he said.
Amid the unfolding situation, which many view as a potentially massive humanitarian crisis, both the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan have engaged in a blame game, trading allegations and accusations. The strained relations between the two nations have exacerbated the challenges faced by Afghan nationals who are caught in the middle of this geopolitical and humanitarian struggle.
(With Agency Inputs)
