Pakistani Deportations Force Afghan Refugees to Leave Families Behind

The Pakistani government's new policy on undocumented Afghan refugees is causing significant distress for families, as thousands face repatriation to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, risking their safety and separation from loved ones.

Every night in Karachi, Pakistan's bustling port city, anxiety grips Fatima Bibi as she hears the distant wail of police sirens. Her husband, Sher Zada, an Afghan refugee, has called Pakistan home since fleeing conflict in Afghanistan as a child in 1992. They, like many families, hoped Mr. Zada's long-term residency and marriage to a Pakistani national would help him gain legal status. However, recent actions from the Pakistani government indicate that time has run out for many undocumented Afghan migrants.

On March 31, Pakistan's government implemented a deadline for Afghan refugees to seek alternate refuge, marking the beginning of a stringent deportation policy. Following the expiration of this deadline, the country's minister of state for interior, Talal Chaudhry, reported that over 80,000 Afghans had already been expelled. This mass exodus has raised considerable alarm about the precarious fate awaiting these individuals under renewed Taliban rule—a situation that could further endanger their lives.

The deportations have devastated families like Bibi's, who fear that such actions could permanently sever their relationships. “What will happen to my children and me if Zada is taken away?” she laments, reflecting the turmoil many spouses face.

The efforts to deport Afghan refugees come amidst heightened geopolitical tensions with India, Pakistan's archrival. Following a terrorist attack in Kashmir linked to Pakistan, India has mandated the departure of almost all Pakistani nationals, prompting a tit-for-tat reaction from the Pakistani government, which has rescinded many Indian citizens' visas in return.

With uncertainty clouding the fate of Afghan refugees, families torn between two troubled nations are left to navigate a volatile climate, where hope for a stable future feels increasingly distant.