The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has stated that following the implementation of the plan to expel Afghan refugees from Pakistan, from November 2023 to February of this year, 525,000 individuals have returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
According to the report released by this organization, since November 2023, after the enforcement of the Pakistani government’s directive regarding illegal migrants, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been compelled to return. The International Organization for Migration estimates that 80% of those affected are women and children.
Meanwhile, some of the expelled Afghan migrants from Pakistan mention being in dire economic straits, with living conditions more challenging than ever before.
Rahmanullah, who has been expelled by the Pakistani police for nearly five months, has been forced to abandon his seven-year life in Pakistan.
“I spent seven years in Pakistan. We arrived here from Pakistan. The shelter we currently have doesn’t shield us from the cold nights to sleep. We lack proper shelter and a source of income to sustain our family expenses. Apart from God, no one hears our voices. Until this moment, we have received no assistance from any organization or institution,” Rahmanullah said.
Mahdi Rezaei, another expelled Afghan migrant from Pakistan, returned to Afghanistan six months ago. He had gone to Pakistan due to economic difficulties but was expelled from the country two years later due to a lack of legal documentation.
“A few months ago, I was expelled and returned to my homeland, but what can I do when there’s no means of income available? Unemployment is rampant, economic hardships are at their peak. My family looks up to me, but I don’t understand how to continue living in these conditions,” Mahdi said.
In the past eighteen months, following recent upheavals and increasing humanitarian and economic crises in Afghanistan, millions of individuals migrated to neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan, for various reasons, including asylum application processes, escaping unemployment, poverty, hunger, lack of educational opportunities, and the current governance issues due to restrictions imposed by the Taliban in the country.
Economic hardships, lack of employment, and absence of legal documents for residency in Pakistan are among the major challenges faced by Afghan migrants. In addition to these challenges, in recent months, a significant number of them have been detained and subsequently expelled by the Pakistani police due to a lack of legal documentation.
- نویسنده : Afghanistan Women News Agency
- منبع خبر : Afghanistan Women News Agency
