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Opinion | How China can stop Pakistan from worsening Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis
- Pakistan’s deportation of over a million Afghans threatens to overwhelm Afghanistan’s struggling economy and aid agencies, and put lives in danger
- China, which has a strategic interest in the region’s stability, should pressure Pakistan to reverse or delay its decision and respect international law
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The Pakistan-Afghanistan border is witnessing one of the largest forced expulsions of people since the second world war. Pakistan’s decision to deport over a million Afghans threatens to worsen Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis and risks thousands of lives. But China may hold the key to a solution.
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Pakistan announced on October 3 that all illegal migrants and asylum seekers had 28 days to leave or face deportation. While not directly mentioned, Afghans make up the vast majority of undocumented people in Pakistan and are seen as the target of the decision.
By the November 1 deadline, more than 60,000 Afghans had been deported. Those remaining have reported coercion to leave by Pakistani officials, and harassment, beatings, extortion and detention.
The Taliban condemned the move, demanding that Pakistan not “deport Afghans by force and without preparation” and that it should consider “good neighbourliness, Islamic brotherhood and humanity”.
Last month, the United Nations warned of “serious implications” and said the “forced repatriation of Afghan nationals has the potential to result in severe human rights violations, including the separation of families and deportation of minors”.
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The sudden decision came after suicide bombings in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces killed at least 57. No group has claimed responsibility but Islamabad appears fed up by the rise of Islamic extremism after decades of harbouring refugees from its troublesome neighbour.
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