Kabul, Sep 27 (IANS) Afghan migrants have shared their agony after being deported from Pakistan, saying that they were given little to no time to collect their belongings, property and business assets from there before being sent across the border, local media reported.
Sanaullah was recently deported to Afghanistan along with his family despite being born and living in Pakistan for nearly 40 years. He recalled how he was not given a chance to take his belongings and left behind his car, business and much of the life he had built in Pakistan, Afghanistan-based Amu TV reported.
Sanaullah, who is originally from Afghanistan’s Kunar province, said that he spent three to four days in detention in Pakistan along with his children before being deported to Afghanistan.
“Everything we had was left behind. Our cars were left there, and the work we were doing was left behind,” Amu TV quoted him as saying.
“They suddenly arrested us and put us in prison. When we came back, everything we had remained there. They kept us there for three or four days, and my children were with me,” he said.
Another returnee, Juma Gul, said that they had brought only bedding with them to Afghanistan and the family’s tractor, livestock, and household belongings were left behind in Pakistan.
Another returnee, Gul Agha, said financial assets remained unresolved in Pakistan and urged Pakistan to allow returnees to travel back to the country legally to settle their matters, Amu TV reported.
Other returnees said that their immediate concern after returning to Afghanistan was finding work and shelter.
Another returnee, Ali Mohammad, urged the Taliban to help families in rebuilding their lives in Afghanistan.
On September 18, United Nations experts warned Pakistan against forcibly deporting Afghan refugees to Afghanistan, while calling on the authorities to urgently identify those at risk of persecution, torture and other serious human rights violations before deciding on their removal.
“We are gravely concerned over Pakistan’s forced return of Afghans. The immediate priority is the establishment of a transparent and accessible procedure through which Afghans at risk can come forward, be individually assessed, and obtain protection from removal while that assessment is carried out,” the experts said.
“Without such procedures, vulnerable individuals may remain in hiding, unable to seek protection for fear of arrest, detention or removal,” they added.
The experts highlighted that Pakistani authorities had directed all medical and dental institutions in the country to remove Afghan students. At least 100 Afghan students currently in Pakistan will reportedly be affected by these orders, including 20 to 40 women.
“For female Afghan students in particular, this move would end their hopes of qualifying as doctors and dentists, because of the Taliban’s ban on higher education and medical training for women,” the experts said.
They further urged the Pakistan government to halt the removal of Afghan nationals, especially women and unaccompanied children, in accordance with its obligation of non-refoulement–not to return any individual to a situation where they face a real risk of persecution, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, arbitrary deprivation of life, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, or other serious and irreparable harm.
They also expressed serious concern over the implementation of a directive issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior on June 28, 2026, instructing provincial authorities to detain and deport Afghan nationals without valid documentation after July 10.
Citing information, the experts said that approximately 127,344 Afghans crossed back into Afghanistan between July 10 and August 27 this year, including at least 14,186 who were reportedly forcibly removed. They noted that around 38,388 of those crossing the border were women and children.
Raising alarm over the return of unaccompanied Afghan children to Afghanistan, they warned that the children are being sent back to a country where adequate child-sensitive reception, assistance and protection mechanisms are absent.
The experts called on Pakistani authorities for greater clarity regarding the criteria and procedures used to identify vulnerable Afghan refugees.
–IANS
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