Jul 11, 2024
Afghan refugees from Pakistan sitting on the back of a truck arrive in Takhta Pul district of the Kandahar Province in Afghanistan (Sanaullah Sieam/AFP) (Courtesy of Middle East Eye).
Pakistani authorities are set to expel over 800,000 Afghan refugees, as part of their “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan”. According to the plan, if refugees do not leave voluntarily, they face arrest and deportation.
“They’re refugees. They’re not involved in terrorist activities. They’re just people who fled and who need protection,” said Philippa Candler, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s leadership has also approved a renewed military operation to tackle escalating violence in the region.
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