2023-11-10 12:16:00
© Hussain Ali/Anadolu via Getty Images
The government of Pakistan must immediately put an end to the continued arrests and deportations as well as the general harassment of Afghan refugees; This was stated today by Amnesty International.
“Thousands of Afghan refugees are being treated like pieces on a political board as they are returned to an Afghanistan subject to the authority of the Taliban, where their lives and physical integrity are in danger in the midst of a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe that does not exist.” ceases. No one should be subjected to collective deportation, and Pakistan would do well to remember its international legal obligations, including respecting the principle of non-refoulement,” said Livia Saccardi, Deputy Regional Director of Amnesty Campaigns. International for South Asia.
“If the Pakistani government does not immediately suspend deportations, it will be depriving thousands of at-risk Afghans of access to security, education and livelihoods.”
“Thousands of Afghan refugees are being treated like pieces on a political board as they are returned to an Afghanistan subject to the authority of the Taliban, where their lives and physical integrity are in danger in the midst of a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe that does not exist.” cease”
According to the government, more than 170,000 Afghans, many of whom had been in Pakistan for decades, have had to leave the country since September 17 due to the ultimatum given by the government to all “unregistered foreign persons” to leave Pakistan. Since the deadline set by the Pakistani government expired on November 1, the police have switched from registering cases under the Foreigners Act 1946 – which penalizes illegal entry into Pakistan, among other things – to directly detaining refugees considered “illegal” in deportation centers.
Amnesty International has concerns regarding the total absence of transparency, due process and accountability in the arrests and deportations carried out last week. Increasing episodes of harassment and hostility towards Afghan refugees in Pakistan only make the situation worse.
“They didn’t give us any information”
According to the government, they have opened 49 detention centers —also called “detention” or “transit” centers— across Pakistan, and more may open. These deportation centers have not been established in application of a specific law and operate in parallel to the official system.
Amnesty International has verified that in at least seven detention centers the rights of detainees are not respected, such as right to legal assistance already establish communication with family. Such centers violate the right to liberty and the right to a fair trial. Furthermore, no information is made public, making it difficult for families to locate their loved ones.
Maryam*an Afghan activist in Islamabad, told Amnesty International that on 2 November, several Afghan refugees were detained at the Shalimar police station and “those without documentation were sent to deportation centers without their families receiving any information.” about where they were being taken or when they would be deported.”
In another case, a 17-year-old boy was arrested in a raid in Sohrab Goth, Karachi, on November 3. Even though he was born in Pakistan—he had a registration card issued by UNHCR—and was a minor, his family was not allowed access to the detention center. He was deported the next day and his exact whereabouts are unknown.
Amnesty International has confirmed with journalists across Pakistan that The media also do not have permission to access these centerswhich raises questions regarding transparency.
Junaid*, an Afghan refugee who was held at the Khayaban e Sir Syed detention center in Islamabad for more than four hours on November 3, said there was a lack of Dari and Pashto translators at the centre, making it difficult for detainees to understand complex documentation issues.
“We live in a permanent state of anguish”
“There is fear among the Afghan community […] We live in a permanent state of anguish; As soon as we heard a police car in the area we locked the door,” Junaid said.
Amnesty International has also received reports of several cases of harassment. On November 1, at least 12 people who owned modest businesses who had valid documentation of their Afghan nationality were detained for more than 24 hours at the Nishtar Colony and Garden Town police stations in Lahore without being brought before a court and without a report. initial complaint against them. On October 24, Afghan traders in Akbari Mandi, Lahore, were searched for documentation by plainclothes men claiming to be police officers and the money they were carrying was confiscated. 500,000 rupees in cash.
Since the deadline for leaving the country was announced, notices have been issued through leaflets, local mosque loudspeakers, and statements to warn that those who offer accommodation to undocumented Afghan refugees risk a fine or arrest. Farah*, a female journalist living in Peshawar, said that although most Afghans are being turned away, “landlords who offer accommodation charge five times more than they would normally charge for rent.”
Since the beginning of October, several katchi abadi (informal settlements) hosting Afghan refugees have been demolished by the Federal Capital Planning Authority in Islamabad. These demolitions were carried out without due process or notice, as informal settlements have limited property rights, and as a result homes with belongings still inside were destroyed.
“I’m sure they’ll kill me if I go back.”
There are approximately 200 Afghan journalists at risk in Pakistan, according to the International Forum of Afghan-Pakistan Journalists. Asad*, an Afghan journalist who has been hiding in Pakistan since the Taliban took power in 2021, said: “Although I entered Pakistan with a valid visa and have applied for renewal, I have nothing to show the authorities if they show up in my house. I haven’t let my children go to school for two weeks. […]”
Asad and his family fled Afghanistan in 2021 after seeing his colleagues and friends murdered after the Taliban came to power. “My name is on several lists made by the Taliban, and I am sure they will kill me if I return,” he said.
Many women living in predominantly Afghan settlements live in a permanent state of extreme distress. Human rights lawyer Moniza Kakar, who handles Afghan refugee cases in Karachi, said: “Many women sleep completely covered (with veils) for fear of nighttime police raids carried out by male officers.”
Las Pakistani women married to Afghan refugees also at higher risk of deportation lacking adequate documentation. Due to the economic and cultural barriers they face in Pakistan, women often do not have access to the computerized national identity card, with a gender gap of 10 million in electoral rolls, according to reports.
Amnesty International has documented the Taliban’s draconian and systemic repression of the rights of women and girls for more than two years.
Afghan refugees who belong to a religious minority face additional risks in the context of deportations, as they are doubly exposed to persecution upon return. An activist working with Christian refugee communities in Islamabad, Chaman and Quetta said that a shelter where a dozen of these Christian families were staying had to close after several police raids.
“Pakistan must fulfill its obligations under international human rights law to ensure the safety and well-being of Afghan refugees within its borders and immediately suspend deportations to prevent an escalation of this crisis. “The government must, together with UNHCR, accelerate the registration of people seeking asylum in Pakistan, especially if they are women and girls, journalists or members of minorities and ethnic communities, as they are at greater risk,” said Livia. Saccardi.
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