The Pakistani government has set November 1 as the end of its ultimatum: all undocumented Afghans who have not returned on their own will be expelled.
Even if they don’t make the news, the stakes, like the numbers, are considerable. The Pakistani government wants to send 1.7 million Afghans home. Almost 1% of the population lives in Pakistan. In proportion, it is as if France decided to immediately expel 600,000 people.
These Afghans arrived in Pakistan in waves. Some found refuge there forty years ago, when their country was invaded by the Soviet army. Others settled more recently, to escape war, the Taliban and poverty. Pakistan is one of the countries hosting the most refugees in the world.
Those who refuse to leave will be arrested and deported
The number of Afghans living there is estimated at four million – 1.7 million of whom do not have a residence permit. The latter are therefore “invited” to return home, obviously, that is an understatement. The Pakistani government has given them an ultimatum: those who refuse to leave of their own accord will be arrested, imprisoned and then deported. This ultimatum ends on November 1.
Hence long queues at the border between the two countries. In Torkham, near the crossing point, hundreds of vehicles line up loaded to the brim: clothes, furniture, food… Everything that the families were able to collect before leaving. 100,000 Afghans have already returned voluntarily, according to Pakistani authorities. The NGO Human Rights Watch denounces a policy of “mass deportation”.
Officially the Pakistani government fights against terrorism
Pakistan is regularly the target of attacks against police stations and schools. And the Afghans are singled out, particularly because most of them come from the Pashtun ethnic group, like several extremist groups in Pakistan. The government says it wants to dry up terrorist networks.
But it is not the only reason. There is also an economic motive. Pakistan is in crisis: its currency is falling, inflation is reaching 30% per year. However, Afghan migrants – cheap labor – are accused of lowering wages, as explained by Karim Pakzad, specialist in the region, associate researcher at theInstitute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS). Finally, there is the political reason. Pakistani elections will take place in three months. Until then, the government wants to show its firmness. The expulsion of the Afghans is also widely supported in public opinion.