Canada Global(Web News)The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern over the government’s decision to deport foreigners and urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide protection to Afghan refugees. .
Earlier this month, the government gave an ultimatum to all migrants to leave Pakistan by October 31 and warned that if they did not leave the country, they would be jailed and deported to their respective countries
This decision was strongly criticized by Afghanistan and many other circles, but the government of Pakistan says that it is not intended to target any particular group or country.
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More than 2 million undocumented Afghans live in Pakistan, of which at least 600,000 are people who arrived on Pakistani soil after the Taliban took power in August 2021.
In a letter to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, HRCP Chairperson Hina Jilani said expelling Afghan refugees could lead to a humanitarian crisis.
He said this decision amounts to forced repatriation which is not recognized under customary international law and will always affect vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers including women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, low income People with
He said that despite the criticism of human rights organizations, there are no signs of revising the decision on the part of the government.
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HRCP also received reports of harassment, intimidation, extortion and arrests of Afghan nationals, the letter said, while media reports indicated that 77 Afghan refugees were deported despite already having legal documents.
He also highlighted in the letter that Pakistan is bound by international customary laws of non-refoulement which prohibits deporting someone to a place where they face cruelty, torture, ill-treatment or a real threat to life.
The letter states that the HRCP believes that the actions of the Government of Pakistan in this context are tantamount to violation of customary internationallaw.
He asked the United Nations Refugee Agency to request the government of Pakistan to extend the November 1 deadline.
