Authorities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are set to escalate actions against undocumented Afghan refugees following the Eid holidays. The temporary pause on arrests during Eid to allow peaceful celebrations has ended. Law enforcement is now gearing up to target Afghan refugees lacking valid documentation, as reported by The Express Tribune.
The process of closing nine Afghan refugee camps, paused during Eid, will soon restart. Additionally, a voluntary repatriation initiative for Afghan nationals is scheduled to commence, facilitating those desiring to return to Afghanistan. Policy measures are being implemented to determine the status of Afghan refugees with citizen cards, including a proposed survey in Peshawar to update refugee data.
Recent reports indicate that over 300 illegal Afghan refugees were apprehended by police in Swabi district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during raids on March 15. The crackdown, initiated following a decision by district authorities and police to deport illegal Afghan residents, involves maintaining records of such individuals as per sources cited by daily Dawn.
Sources reveal that 341 Afghan refugees were detained in raids across various parts of Swabi on March 15, with ongoing efforts to identify and deport all illegally residing Afghan refugees in the region. While many Afghan refugees in Swabi possess proper documentation, a significant number are staying unlawfully, including in Gandaf and Gohati Refugee Camps, as well as in farming fields and cities, according to Dawn.
