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Maroza Bibi and her children are part of a group of hundreds of Afghans who are anxiously leaving a country they’ve considered home for decades, fearing arrest. Islamabad has issued an order for the 1.7 million Afghans it claims are residing in the country illegally to depart by November 1 or face deportation.
In preparation for the approaching deadline, a series of holding centers are being established throughout the country, a move criticized by rights groups and lawyers as an unprecedented crackdown.
Read more : More than 160 Afghans perish in the freezing conditions.
“I’m taking with me many cherished memories. I had hoped that Pakistan would grant us nationality, but that didn’t happen, forcing us to return almost empty-handed,” said Bibi, 52, at the Torkham crossing in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Bibi was approximately 10 years old when her family fled the Soviet war in Afghanistan and settled in Kashmir, where she raised a family and where her husband is buried.
Over the decades, millions of Afghans have crossed the border, making Pakistan the host of one of the world’s largest refugee populations. However, relations between the two countries have deteriorated since the Taliban government took control in August 2021 and implemented their strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of Afghans are estimated to have crossed the border.
Pakistan has stated that the deportations are intended to safeguard the “welfare and security” of the nation, as anti-Afghan sentiment has grown due to prolonged economic hardship and increased cross-border militancy.
Although the deadline to depart is a few days away, police have already begun conducting raids and detaining Afghans, with reports of indiscriminate arrests and extortion from lawyers.
Zulfiqar Khan, born to refugee parents in a sprawling Peshawar aid camp, is among those who decided to leave. He, like many others, was unaware of the documentation process and believed he would eventually be granted Pakistani nationality.
“I have chosen to leave to avoid any humiliation by the Pakistani authorities,” he said.
On Friday, hundreds of families with bundles of belongings gathered at the border post, some hoping to convince officials to allow them to bring live chickens with them.
“Women at the border are facing a lot of problems, especially pregnant women and people with disabilities; you can see they are waiting for their turn for hours,” said Hakeem Ullah, a border official.
Authorities have stated that over 2,000 people are being processed each day, although most are laborers and traders who frequently cross the border.
According to the United Nations, about 1.3 million Afghans are registered refugees, and an additional 880,000 have legal status to remain in Pakistan. However, Islamabad claims that 1.7 million Afghans are in Pakistan illegally.
“Everyone is frightened of arrest and deportation,” said Fazal Ahmed, a 40-year-old fruit vendor who arrived in Pakistan at the age of four. “I consider myself Pakistani as I have never been back to Afghanistan, but now we are counting down the days in fear.”
Afghans will be permitted to cross the border with limited possessions and 50,000 Pakistani rupees ($178), leaving their livestock behind.
“Our money is stuck here. All our lifetime earnings and savings are stranded here. We have established businesses here, but they don’t care,” said Khan Mohammad, a resident of a Karachi aid camp, pleading for authorities to grant Afghans more time to leave. Afghanistan is grappling with its own economic difficulties, disconnected from the international banking system and heavily reliant on humanitarian aid, particularly as the harsh winter months approach.
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