Pakistan orders Afghan asylum seekers out of country by November

Pakistan has issued an order for all unauthorized Afghan asylum seekers, approximately 1.7 million individuals, to depart the country by November. This move comes in response to a surge in border attacks, which Pakistan attributes to operatives based in Afghanistan, leading to heightened tensions between the two nations this year. Islamabad has also expressed growing frustration and, on Tuesday, announced a crackdown on “illegal” migrants.

The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has urged Pakistan to reconsider its “unacceptable” directive, repeatedly denying shelter to militants targeting Pakistan. Notably, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti did not explicitly reference recent attacks, including one at a mosque in Mastung city near the Afghan border that claimed at least 50 lives during a religious celebration, when announcing the crackdown on “illegal” Afghans.

The right to seek refuge in another country is protected by international law, and Pakistan has accommodated hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees over decades of conflict, especially since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. According to the UN, approximately 1.3 million Afghans are registered as refugees in Pakistan, with an additional 880,000 having legal status to remain.

However, Mr. Bugti claimed that 1.7 million people are in Pakistan “illegally,” apparently referring to those who have not yet obtained refugee status. He stated that they must leave the country by the end of the month, either voluntarily or through forced deportation. Details on how such an operation would be conducted were not provided.

Additionally, Mr. Bugti announced the formation of a taskforce aimed at identifying and seizing the assets of “illegal” Afghans, including private businesses. The Taliban administration in Kabul responded by asserting that Afghan refugees are not connected to Pakistan’s security issues and suggested that they should be tolerated as long as they leave Pakistan voluntarily.

Reports indicate that local authorities have already begun detaining Afghans, both those with and without legal status to remain. Balochistan province, located near Pakistan’s border, has frequently witnessed attacks by armed groups such as the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, and the Islamic State militant organization.

Mr. Bugti cited 24 suicide bombings along Pakistan’s border since January, attributing over half of them to militants operating from Afghanistan. He also announced stricter entry requirements for Afghans starting from November 1, stating that only visitors with visas and passports would be allowed to enter Pakistan. This represents a departure from the previous practice of allowing Afghans to use their national identity cards as travel documents, a change that has created delays for many Afghans seeking to enter Pakistan.