Since the resurgence of terrorism in Pakistan, the 2,600km porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has taken on an outsized importance, especially regarding the interim Afghanistan government’s refusal to act against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants using its soil to foment attacks against Pakistan.
Security officials often point to Afghan citizens’ involvement in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, touting the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan unveiled last year as a means to curb it. Unfortunately, this plan is also poised to oust millions of Afghan refugees from the country, raising concerns of human rights organizations over threats to their life and liberty in their homeland.
Pakistan has seen three major influxes of Afghan refugees: the first after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979; the second after the U.S. invasion of 2021; and the third after the hasty withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2021 that saw the Afghan Taliban retake control of Kabul. Of these groups, many among the first and second influxes have since assimilated into the local populations of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, while the third largely comprises individuals and families awaiting the outcome of asylum applications to various Western diplomatic missions. The legal status of all three, however, remains murky, while their repatriations are rife with concerns of human rights violations.
Taking notice of this issue, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) acknowledged the “unauthorized” status of Afghan refugees, but stressed this did not mean they are not entitled to protection. “Nor should they bear the brunt of Pakistan’s security concerns. The government must seriously consider signing the 1951 Geneva Convention and its 1967 Protocol relating to the status of refugees,” it said, as government officials maintained they would soon launch the second phase of its repatriation policy for undocumented Afghan refugees.
Thus far, Pakistan maintains it would not act against anyone with valid passports and visas, but refugee populations rarely possess both, leaving them vulnerable to harassment and extortion. Not helping matters are strained ties between Kabul and Islamabad, which reduce any chances of achieving a humane solution through dialogue rather than forcible evictions. As winter looms, concerns are mounting of Pakistan initiating the “second phase” of its repatriation plan, especially as terrorist attacks show no signs of abating. While Pakistan is within its rights to require all foreigners to possess valid documents, it must not fall prey to the excesses of convenience and ensure all repatriations are dignified and do not hamper the goodwill incurred by years of playing host to millions of refugees.