Geneva, May 22 (IANS) United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk on Friday warned against the continued forced repatriation of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers from host countries to Afghanistan, calling it a violation of international human rights and refugee law. “Afghan women, children and men continue to be pushed out of countries where they had sought safety, forcing them to return to Afghanistan against their will and exposing them to grave risk,” said Turk.Accord…
Latest Afghan refugees News & Updates
Islamabad, May 21 (IANS) Pakistani police have arrested Afghan journalist Parwiz Aminzada in Islamabad during ongoing enforcement actions against Afghan citizens, local media reported on Thursday. Local sources revealed that Aminzada was arrested in the Faisal Town area of Islamabad on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m., Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported. Authorities have not yet released any statement which reveals the reasons for his arrest.In recent months, Pakistani authorities hav…
Islamabad, May 18 (IANS) Pakistan’s latest wave of arrests targeting Afghan refugees demonstrates structural shift in the country’s migration governance. Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for over 40 years. However, the current raids conducted by the authorities, arrests and forced removals of Afghans showcase one of the most aggressive enforcement phases in recent years, a report has stated. Reports indicate that around 1500 Afghan refugees have been detained in several refugee camps in recen…
Colombo, May 14 (IANS) Pakistani military regime under Asim Munir has been facing key challenges over the past three years in consolidating control at home, driven by a “hard state” approach rooted in an uncompromising, militarised framework for internal security and political management. The approach depends on “political repression and constitutional redesign” to centralise the regime’s command structure and restrict the space for political dissent and mobilisation. As part of this ‘ha…
Quetta, May 13 (IANS) As many as 34 Afghan nationals have been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for entering Pakistan and travelling towards Balochistan’s Gwadar without necessary documents, local media reported on Wednesday. The FIA spokesman said its Turbat wing carried out a raid at the CPEC road area after receiving a tip-off and arrested 34 undocumented Afghan nationals who were allegedly trying to enter Iran through the Gwadar area, Pakistan’s daily Dawn reported.The arre…
Kabul, May 10 (IANS) The Afghanistan Media Support Organisation (AMSO) has said that Afghan refugees in Pakistan have been facing arbitrary arrests, mistreatment, extortion and the threat of forced deportation, media reported on Sunday. In a report released on Friday, the AMSO said that more than 3.4 million Afghan migrants have been deported from Pakistan and Iran since 2023 amid escalating crackdowns on undocumented foreigners, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported.According …
Kabul, May 6 (IANS) Afghanistan’s High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Problems has urged international organisations and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to hold talks with Pakistan so that Afghan nationals do not face difficulties. It also urged to ensure that the refugees do not face harassment, enabling their swift return. The commission stressed that issues of Afghan refugees should be addressed as a matter of urgency. It stated that Afghan refugees entering Afg…
Geneva, May 2 (IANS) The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) expressed grave concerns over Pakistan’s mass deportation of Afghan refugees, including children, following the adoption of the 2023 Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan, citing the absence of individual assessment of protection needs and risks of refoulement. In its recent findings on Pakistan’s implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Committee rai…
New York, April 22 (IANS) US-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said that the Pakistani authorities have increased raids, arbitrary detentions and forced deportation of Afghan refugees after renewed border clashes with Afghanistan. HRW noted that thousands of vulnerable Afghan refugees, including children, have been face serious problems in accessing healthcare, education and other essential services due to police operations. It also highlighted that Pakistan’s forced deportation …
London, April 18 (IANS) Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP) reflects state-led refoulement on an industrial scale, prioritising political expediency over human lives, displacing more than two million Afghan refugees, shattering communities, violating international norms, and deepening Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, a report highlighted on Saturday. “Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), launched in October 2023, has evolved into one of the world’s…