567,554 Afghan migrants repatriated to their homeland

ISLAMABAD: Repatriation of illegal foreign nationals including Afghans to their homeland is continuing in a dignified and safe manner, ARY News reported.

567,554 Afghans have been repatriated to Afghanistan till 10th May 2024.

According to the latest figures, 11,006 Afghan citizens left Pakistan between April 30 and May 10.

The total number of Afghans who left during this period includes 4,987 men, 3,214 women, and 2,805 children. A total of 576 vehicles were used to facilitate the return of 512 families to Afghanistan.

Earlier sources reported that Pakistan decided to launch a second phase of deporting illegal Afghans after Eidul Fitr.

Sources within the Interior Ministry, recently taken over by Mohsin Naqvi, have informed the federating units about the launch of the second phase of illegal Afghans’ deportation.

The apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) in a meeting on October 3, 2023, chaired by the then-caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar gave a deadline to all foreign nationals living illegally in the country until October 31 to leave voluntarily or face deportation.

Since the expiry of the deadline over 500,000 illegal Afghans have returned to their homeland via the Torkham and Chaman borders.

Pakistan faced criticism from several countries including US, UK, Afghanistan and others, but it rejected all the statements and said only Afghans living illegally in Pakistan were being deported to control increasing crimes.

The government of Pakistan is facilitating the illegal Afghans in the repatriation process at the Torkham and Chaman borders.