On October the 4^th, the Pakistani government announced that undocumented immigrants in the country were to voluntarily leave the country by November the 1^st, 2023. If these did not leave the country by the stipulated date, they would be deported by the Pakistani government. In addition, the latter threatened fines and arrests for anyone lending aid to Afghans without documents or with expired documents. This measure primarily targets the Afghan community. More than 1.7 million Afghans, many of whom had been living in Pakistan for decades, have to leave the country. 

Amnesty International has repeatedly called for Pakistan to stop forced repatriations; this is based on two main points. First, the organization argues that the majority of undocumented Afghans “are not to blame,” as the delays and subsequent undocumented status would be the responsibility of international refugee agencies. It is essential to consider that the Afghans often arrived in the country with valid documents. Once they expired, bureaucratic delays actually prevented them from being legal and registered immigrants. Second, people returning to Afghanistan are at significant risk. In fact, according to the Strategic Framework for Afghanistan published by the UN on July the 3^rd, 2023, Afghanistan is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. The ones most at risk are women: the Taliban have increasingly introduced new restrictions with the apparent goal of completely erasing the presence of women and girls from public arenas.

Although this maneuver refers to all undocumented immigrants, the police operations mainly targeted Afghans; this is because Pakistan has been home to the largest Afghan refugee community for the past 30 years. How is it possible, then, that after all these years, the government made such a choice? The main reason lies in the presence of the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the territory of Pakistan; this is a terrorist group allied with the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban of Afghanistan, which operates on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan’s decision may also have been prompted by a major attack launched by the TTP in early September near Chitral, a town in Pakistan’s northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. A group of 400-500 Afghan militants attacked Pakistani security forces along the uncertain border between the two countries in the Chitral area, claiming at least 40 lives among the officers. The raid led Pakistani authorities to take more extreme measures. As the 1^st of approached, Pakistani police began searching for Afghans and proceeded to open new detention centers to house those arrested. These deportation centers are contrary to the Pakistani constitution, which gives every person in the territory the right to due process. Despite this, this right is ignored, with detainees often not being allowed to speak with a lawyer or their families.

Although Pakistan’s concern for its national security is evident, Islamabad did not take into consideration the consequences this decision would have on the people expelled from the country. The current insecurity in Afghanistan makes returning to the country extremely challenging, particularly for women. In addition, the short notice given makes it very complicated, if not impossible, to go to another country with a more stable political situation.

The Pakistani government’s enforcement of undocumented immigrants’ departure, primarily aimed at the Afghan community, has ignited considerable controversy and raised widespread concerns. While security is a paramount concern for any nation, the issue of human rights and justice toward immigrants remains at the center of intense and necessary debate. This situation underscores the necessity for a more balanced approach that weighs security concerns against humanitarian considerations when tackling such intricate issues in the future.