Afghan refugees are returning to Afghanistan through Torkham border and in the last four days around two hundred Afghan migrant families left for their country, an official of the Torkham Border said here Saturday. Giving detail on the assurance of not to be named, the official disclosed that 198 families were transported to Afghanistan through 54 vehicles through Torkham border. The International Organization for Refugees (IOM) is also registering returning Afghan refugees at Torkham border, he said.
The official said that 9,56,720 Afghan refugees are living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, another official of the Afghan Commissionerate in Peshawar said. He said 6,48,968 Afghan refugees are registered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 885,000 Afghan refugees are living in settled areas and 22,390 Afghan refugees are living in tribal districts, the official of the Afghan Commissionerate said.
He said that more than 300,000 Afghan refugees are not registered in the Afghan Commissionerate so far. On the other hand United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) “stand ready” to provide support in registering and managing Afghan nationals, the agencies said on Saturday. The statement comes amidst the government’s crackdown on illegal immigrants residing across the country.
Earlier this week, the government gave an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants, including Afghan nationals, to leave Pakistan by October 31, or else risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries. The committee had decided that movement across the border would be subject to passports and visas, while electronic Afghan identity cards (or e-tazkiras) would only be accepted until Oct 31.
After the passage of the deadline, the authorities will kickstart an operation targeting illegal properties and businesses owned by immigrants or those being run in collaboration with Pakistani nationals.
