Afghan Refugees Concerned Over Suspension of Visa Extensions in Pakistan
Tawazon – Pakistan – Afghan refugees in Pakistan have expressed deep concern over the suspension of their visa extension process, warning that the halt will worsen existing migration challenges in the country and could have serious consequences.
In an unprecedented move, the Pakistani government has suspended the visa extension process for Afghan refugees residing in the country, a decision that has sparked growing concern among Afghan migrants and asylum seekers.
Sources in Pakistan told Tawazon that in the past, Pakistani police had also conducted mobile checkpoints, stopped vehicles on highways, and carried out house-to-house searches to arrest and deport undocumented Afghan refugees.According to these sources, the halt in visa extensions is expected to intensify forced deportations, putting many Afghans at greater risk of being forcibly returned to Afghanistan.
Diba Farhamand, an Afghan women’s rights advocate, has described the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan as a “silent humanitarian disaster.” In an interview with Tawazon, she said: “With the suspension of visa issuance for Afghans, thousands of refugees in Pakistan now face the threat of arrest and forced return, where the Taliban’s danger awaits them.”
Farhamand called on the international community and Amnesty International to take immediate action to restore the visa issuance process for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, in order to prevent a major humanitarian catastrophe.
Shamshed (name changed), a 36-year-old Afghan journalist and media activist who has been living in Pakistan with his family for the past three years, expressed concern over Pakistan’s new approach toward Afghan refugees.
Awaiting relocation to a European country, he urged the Pakistani government to support Afghan asylum seekers, especially those who fled after August 2021 for security reasons.He warned that forced return to Afghanistan would be dangerous and called on Pakistan to issue visas in line with human and Islamic values.
Despite the Taliban leader’s declaration of a general amnesty after the group’s return to power, numerous reports indicate that some Taliban commanders and fighters have carried out arbitrary arrests, torture, and even killings of former security personnel, journalists, and civil society activists. According to international human rights organizations, these violations are ongoing, and many returnees from Iran and Pakistan face serious security threats upon arrival in Afghanistan.
It is worth noting that on July 9, Pakistani media reported that the Federal Investigation Agency had arrested a Pakistani government official, two Afghan nationals over allegations of issuing illegal visas. The current suspension of visa extensions may be linked to this case, although Pakistani authorities haven’t made any public statements regarding the matter so far.
Human rights activists have warned that the continuation of this situation could leave thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan in a state of legal uncertainty and increased vulnerability.
