UNHCR terms Afghan’s deportation plan as “disconcerting”

ISLAMABAD: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has termed the press reports about a plan to deport undocumented Afghans “disconcerting” and said the body was seeking clarity from “our government partners”.

Qaisar Khan Afridi, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told Anadolu that refugees residing in Pakistan should be allowed to exit the country voluntarily and no pressure should be exerted on them.

Afridi asked Pakistan to come up with a plan that ensures all Afghan nations with international protection are not deported, noting that Islamabad has been “generously hosting refugees for more than 40 years”.

“We must also keep in mind that those fleeing persecution often do not have the necessary documents and travel permissions,” he added.

Apex Committee: One document policy for Afghanistan to be implemented

Afridi further said that the UNHCR is ready to support Pakistan in developing a mechanism to manage and register people in need of international protection on its territory and respond to “particular vulnerabilities.”

“Pakistan has remained a generous refugee host for decades. This role has been acknowledged globally but more needs to be done to match its generosity,” he added.

The interim government earlier in the day ordered all illegal immigrants, including 1.73 million Afghan nationals, to leave the country or face expulsion after revealing that 14 of 24 suicide bombings in the country this year were carried out by Afghan nationals.