Over 8,000 Afghan refugees forced to return from Pak as deadline nears

As the deadline to send Afghan refugees to Pakistan approaches, over 8,000 Afghan migrants have been forcefully deported back from Pakistan, Khaama Press reported.

The Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan on Saturday announced that approximately 7,910 Afghan migrants have returned to their country from Pakistan via the Spin Boldak border.

According to the Taliban-appointed border official in Spin Boldak, located in Kandahar Province, a total of 1,330 families, consisting of 7,800 individuals, including 110 detainees who were previously held in Pakistani prisons, have been set free.

In addition, the Taliban-led ministry said that these detainees, who were repatriated to Afghanistan against their will by Pakistan, are now officially registered with the Ministry of Migrants. They have also been connected with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to receive the necessary support.

Recently, Pakistan's Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, stated that the government had no plans to extend the deadline, saying, "We talked about expelling illegal residents, but the message was conveyed as if we were only expelling Afghans, Khaama Press reported. The government's message was not just for Afghans; it was for all illegal migrants."

Despite facing pressure from various nations to reconsider its decision regarding the deportation of illegal immigrants living in the country, Pakistan remains resolute and is unwilling to change its stance, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported.

Pakistan has made the decision to expel an estimated 1.7 million foreign nationals, primarily Afghans who had been residing there illegally. They have till October 31 to depart or risk being deported.