In a significant move, Pakistan’s interim government has taken decisive action to expel approximately 1.1 million foreign nationals residing illegally within the nation. The motivation behind this sweeping eviction, as reported by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), centers on their alleged involvement in financing and facilitating terrorist activities and other illicit undertakings.
According to the APP, the expulsion plan is outlined in three distinct phases. In the initial phase, illegal residents will be targeted, followed by individuals holding Afghan citizenship in the second phase. Lastly, the third phase will encompass those possessing proof of residence cards who will also face deportation.
Citing an undisclosed source knowledgeable about this development, the report underscores the substantial security threat posed by these illegally residing foreigners to Pakistan. It is noteworthy that the plan to evict Afghan citizens who have been living in Pakistan without proper authorization has also been greenlit. This specific group is believed to be implicated in the funding, facilitation, and smuggling of terrorists. Moreover, a significant portion of these Afghan residents—approximately 700,000 individuals—have failed to renew their proof of residence in Pakistan.
The APP report further elaborates on the deportation strategy, specifying that the initial phase will encompass the expulsion of illegal residents and individuals who have neglected to renew their visas. In the second phase, individuals holding Afghan citizenship will be subject to deportation, followed by those with proof of residence cards in the third phase. The plan, developed in collaboration with stakeholders and the Afghan government, has been devised by Pakistan’s interior ministry.
Furthermore, the interior ministry has issued directives to relevant authorities to compile a comprehensive record of Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan without valid permits. Simultaneously, preparations are underway to establish a transportation plan to repatriate them to the Afghan border. The officials have been tasked with expeditiously addressing applications for the registration of Afghan nationals.
This development follows a recent uptick in the Pakistani government’s crackdown on Afghan refugees, with the month of September witnessing a notable surge in the apprehension and detention of Afghan refugees. The government has cited illegal immigration and an escalation in criminal activities as key factors necessitating this stringent response.
Statistics from the United Nations reveal that approximately 1.3 million Afghans hold registered refugee status in Pakistan, with an additional 880,000 individuals possessing legal documentation to reside within the country. Nonetheless, the recent crackdown explicitly targets those lacking legal status, ostensibly in response to mounting criminality and lax immigration oversight, which places significant strain on resources.
In recent weeks, Karachi alone has witnessed the arrest of at least 700 Afghan nationals, a tenfold increase compared to the preceding month of August. Furthermore, hundreds more have faced detention in various cities across Pakistan. Afghan communities argue that these arrests have been carried out indiscriminately, alleging instances of extortion by law enforcement personnel and disregard for legitimate documents. This intensifying anti-Afghan sentiment coincides with economic hardships facing Pakistani households and heightened tensions between Islamabad and the new Taliban-led government in Kabul.
