Repatriation with dignity

Pakistan’s relationship with its Afghan refugee population is at a critical juncture. For nearly five decades, since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans. However, recent government actions are casting a long shadow over this legacy of hospitality, threatening to replace it with a policy rooted more in political expediency and fear than in humanitarian values. Afghanistan has formally appealed to the UN and other international organisations to intervene in what it calls the “dignified return” of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. In response, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has claimed that Afghan citizens are being repatriated with dignity, noting that transit points had been established across all provinces and a helpline set up to assist Afghan nationals.

But despite these assurances, there are growing concerns – and they are not without merit. According to the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are 2.1 million documented Afghans in Pakistan. Over 800,000 hold Afghan Citizen Card (ACCs), while about 1.3 million possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards. Yet even these legal identifiers do not seem to protect Afghan nationals from the sweeping tide of forced returns. To date, 857,157 illegal foreign nationals and ACC holders have already been repatriated – many under pressure to leave before the government’s March 31 deadline, a deadline that authorities have not extended. This abrupt policy shift, announced in October 2023, intends to repatriate 1.1 million Afghans living without legal status in Pakistan. But the blanket approach to this issue is troubling, especially when viewed against the backdrop of civil society’s outcry and mounting concern from both local and international human rights organisations that the policy lacks nuance, compassion and an understanding of the human cost involved.

While there is no denying the security concerns Pakistan faces, particularly regarding the TTP and its safe havens in Afghanistan, conflating these threats with the broader Afghan refugee population is a dangerous misstep. As many human rights activists have pointed out, the Afghan refugee crisis and cross-border terrorism are two distinct issues. If individuals involved in terrorism are hiding under the guise of refugee status, then by all means, the law must take its course – irrespective of nationality. But expeling families that have lived here for decades, many of whom were born on Pakistani soil, is another matter and places Pakistan on a morally shaky ground, mirroring the very anti-immigrant sentiment we so often condemn in the Global North. What do we need? We need the Afghan Taliban to stop supporting the TTP in its terror agenda against Pakistan. It is very unlikely that our expelling refugees will affect the Taliban in any case. Pakistan needs to develop a clear, fair, and humane refugee policy – one that balances legitimate security concerns with respect for human rights. The answer lies not in forced deportations but in structured, legal pathways to documentation, integration or voluntary repatriation. We must collaborate with the UNHCR and international partners to ensure that any return is truly ‘dignified’ – not just in name, but in practice. Let’s not forget this is a country that once opened its arms in solidarity. Closing doors in fear is a knee-jerk reaction. Terrorism must not be ignored. We can manage to stay secure while also staying compassionate.