Kabul, May 10 (IANS) The Afghanistan Media Support Organisation (AMSO) has said that Afghan refugees in Pakistan have been facing arbitrary arrests, mistreatment, extortion and the threat of forced deportation, media reported on Sunday.
In a report released on Friday, the AMSO said that more than 3.4 million Afghan migrants have been deported from Pakistan and Iran since 2023 amid escalating crackdowns on undocumented foreigners, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported.
According to the report, 68.3 per cent of surveyed Afghans said they have been arrested or imprisoned, while 96.4 per cent of detainees reported facing abuse during arrest or detention.
As per the report, 85.7 per cent of respondents were forced to pay money to avoid arrest or get released from detention facilities.
The report said that 75.6 of respondents faced threats, humiliation and other forms of psychological abuse, while 72.4 per cent of respondents were detained for more than 48 hours without judicial review, Khaama Press reported.
The organisation said that none of the deported individuals received an individual risk assessment before deportation from Pakistan.
The AMSO added that the report was prepared jointly with the World Organisation Against Torture and presented to the United Nations Committee Against Torture.
The findings were based on a survey conducted of 41 Afghan nationals with six in-depth interviews and documentation from organisations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organisation for Migration, Amnesty International, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Pakistan has intensified deportation of undocumented Afghans since late 2023 citing security concerns and economic pressures.
However, human rights organisations have said that many Afghan nationals face serious risks after being repatriated to Afghanistan, especially journalists, former government workers, activists and women.
Last month, a 15-member Afghan family, including minor children, were detained by law enforcement agencies in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi as authorities continued their crackdown against illegal Afghan nationals.
Sources said more than 5,673 illegal Afghans have been repatriated to Afghanistan since the deadline for voluntary return has ended.
The law enforcement agencies have been asked to maintain accurate, comprehensive and consolidated data of all deported Afghan nationals, irrespective of whether their return was voluntary or conducted through formal actions, Pakistan’s daily Dawn reported.
The police have been ordered to collect relevant data, verify accuracy by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and combine at the appropriate level to ensure effective monitoring.
On April 14, police in Pakistan’s Quetta arrested more than 20 landlords and shop owners for renting properties to undocumented Afghan migrants.
The crackdown targetted those who “violated rental laws”, with cases lodged against those arrested under existing legal provisions governing housing and foreign residency, Khaama Press reported.
Hundreds of undocumented Afghans were identified and arrested during the operation which demonstrates growing pressure faced by migrants in Pakistan.
Afghan migrants in Balochistan said that the restrictions imposed by the authorities have made their routine life increasingly difficult, restricting their access to housing, employment and essential services needed for basic survival.
Pakistan has imposed a ban on renting properties to undocumented foreign nationals in Islamabad and nearby areas and extended restrictions to utilities, mobile SIM cards, and other essential services.
–IANS
akl/khz