Expelled migrants, including women, say future in Afghanistan uncertain and challenging

Kabul: Many of the expelled Afghan migrants, including women, who have returned to the country from Pakistan, stressed that their future back home is uncertain and challenging, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

Nigar, one of the expelled women from Pakistan who has been relocated to a temporary camp in northern Kabul, said that it has been six days since she has come back to Afghanistan with her family. Nigar said that she is worried about their future in Afghanistan.

Nigar added, “I had heard that poverty and unemployment have increased in Afghanistan in the past two years, and now we have returned to the same country that has been experiencing these problems for years,” according to the Khaama Press report.

Shirin Khanum, another woman who has 10 children, is concerned about finding food and shelter for her family. She is unhappy with the challenges of life in Afghanistan.

Khanum called starting a new life in Afghanistan in the current conditions a “daunting task.” She said, “We have nowhere to stay, and paying rent is also a burden.”

These women remain concerned with regard to the education of their children. They have urged humanitarian organizations to provide educational opportunities for their children, Khaama Press reported.

Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed deep concern about the situation of women and girls who have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan. Turk stressed that these women are at risk of serious harm.

According to human rights organizations in Afghanistan, half of the people expelled from Pakistan are women and addressing their needs is becoming increasingly challenging as winter is approaching, as per the news report.

Pakistan’s decision to expel over a million undocumented Afghan migrants starting from November this year has resulted in more than 327,000 Afghan migrants returning to Afghanistan, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

International human rights organizations have criticised Pakistan’s decision to expel undocumented Afghan migrants, which have described it as unjust, Khaama Press reported.

Nearly 400,000 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan in the past two months, TOLO News reported citing the Taliban’s consul in Karachi Abdul Jabar Takhari.

According to Takhari, the detention of Afghan refugees is still happening at a high rate in Pakistan. He said that nearly 1,000 Afghan refugees are currently in detention.

“Since Pakistan started the deportation of the Afghan refugees in October, nearly 400,000 Afghan refugees have returned to the country. In addition to that, we have talked with the Pakistani officials about the release of the Afghan refugees being detained in Pakistan,” TOLO News reported citing Abdul Jabar Takhari.

The Afghan nationals, who are currently detained in Pakistan, raised concerns about their situation. Afghan nationals said that they are facing severe challenges, TOLO News reported.

Hamidullah, an Afghan refugee, said, “It has been four months since I was detained here in Pakistan. I brought my father for treatment to the doctor, my father is now in the hospital, but I am in prison.”

Another Afghan refugee Abdullah said that he has been in prison in Pakistan for the past two months. He further said, “I am in prison without committing any crime.” Afghan Refugees Council head Mir Ahmad Raufi said that Pakistan police have been carrying out crackdowns to arrest Afghan nations who do not have documents.

According to TOLO News report, Raufi said, “The Afghan refugees are facing pressure from the Pakistan police and there is no difference between legal and illegal refugees–both are being detained.”