KABUL (SW) – The Ministry of Repatriation and Refugees (MoRR) reports a decrease in the forced deportations of Afghan migrants from Pakistan as the second phase begins.
Abdul Mutalib Haqani, spokesperson for the ministry, says that with the commencement of the second phase, approximately 50 to 60 families are returning to Afghanistan daily, a notable decrease compared to the thousands who were repatriated during the first phase.
Haqani emphasizes that decisions regarding Afghan migrants must be made in consultation with the Islamic Emirate.
He added, “The issue of immigrants is bilateral and a unilateral decision is not beneficial to both countries, and when a decision is made about migrants, it should be made in bilateral consultation and the refugees should be repatriated to Afghanistan in a joint mechanism.”
However, some families who forcibly returned to Afghanistan during the second phase, urge the de-facto government to provide shelter for them.
Abdullah, a returnee from Pakistan, appeals to the Islamic Emirate for assistance in securing both housing and employment, saying, “We have nowhere to stay or to live.”
Similarly, Naeem Gul, another returnee, also pleads for assistance in securing shelter for his family of eight, expressing urgency following their recent arrival from Peshawar.
Based on the statistics from the Ministry of Repatriations and Refugees, over 500,000 individuals were forcibly repatriated from Pakistan during the first phase of forced deportation of Afghan migrants.
This is while that previously, the ministry stated that 277 Afghan migrants have repatriated from Pakistan through the hypothetical Torkham crossing border.
According to the information provided by the Torkham border authority in Nangarhar province, 53 families, comprising 277 individuals, forcibly returned from Pakistan.
