Pakistan deports one million irregular migrants

At a press conference in the city of Quetta, in Balochistan, Pakistan, Minister Açakzai stated that all government institutions are working to catch irregular migrants who do not leave the country.

Açakzai stated that 1 million irregular immigrants are scheduled to be deported from the country by January 2024.

Irregular migrants, most of whom are Afghan citizens, are sent to their countries through the Torkham and Chaman border gates. In the images reflected in the press it is seen that there is congestion at both border gates.

DEPORTATION DECISION

After the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, there are security problems between the two countries.

The Islamabad administration claims that the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which is fighting against them, is positioned in Afghanistan and that the Taliban administration has not taken action against this organization. The Taliban, on the other hand, reject Pakistan’s claims and say they have nothing to do with the country’s security problems.

While discussions in this context have increased between the two countries in recent months, the Pakistani government has asked unregistered irregular migrants living in the country, whose number exceeds 1.7 million, to leave Pakistan before 1 November to early October. It was announced that those who did not leave before that date would be deported.

Pakistan announced that there have been 24 suicide attacks in the country since January 2023 and that the attackers included Afghan nationals.

The Taliban administration, for its part, criticizes Pakistan’s decision and demands that Afghan migrants be treated well and given more time to leave the country.

International institutions, especially the United Nations (UN), are also calling on Pakistan to reverse this decision.

According to the UN, 60 percent of those returning are children.

Following Pakistan’s decision, Iran also stepped up sending back irregular Afghan migrants living in the country. (AA)