The Pakistani government has issued an order for all unauthorized Afghan asylum seekers, an estimated 1.7 million individuals, to leave the country by November. The order comes amid rising tensions between the two countries, with an uptick in militant attacks along their shared border.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan-based operatives of being responsible for the cross-border attacks, a charge the Taliban government denies. This sparked outrage in Islamabad, prompting them to announce a crackdown on “illegal” immigrants.
Notably, the right to seek asylum abroad is protected by international law. Pakistan has historically hosted hundreds of thousands of unauthorized Afghan asylum seekers, especially after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. An estimated 1.3 million Afghans officially registered as refugees, with an additional 880,000 having legal status. However, an estimated 1.7 million people are currently in Pakistan without proper documentation, as stated by Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti.
Bugti announced that these undocumented people must leave the country by the end of the month, either voluntarily or through forced deportation. He emphasized the involvement of law enforcement agencies in the process but did not elaborate.
Additionally, a task force has formed to identify and seize assets and businesses of “illegal” Afghans in Pakistan. Afghan authorities in Pakistan reported detaining more than 1,000 Afghans in response to the crackdown. And including both those with legal status and those without.
Balochistan province, located near the border with Pakistan, has faced frequent attacks from armed groups such as the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Pakistani Taliban and ISIS. The recent explosion in the town of Mastung, where at least 50 people killed during a religious celebration. And highlights the volatile security situation in the region.
Bugti cited 24 suicide bombings along Pakistan’s border since January. And more than half of which attributed to militants operating from Afghanistan. As a result, Pakistan intends to implement a strict ban on Afghan entry from November 1, allowing only visitors with valid visas and passports to cross the border. Previously, Afghans used their national identity cards as travel documents when entering Pakistan, but this process has faced significant delays. And making the issuance of visas and passports a lengthy process.