PAKISTAN RECENTLY ANNOUNCED A CRACKDOWN ON MIGRANTS LIVING IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY, INCLUDING 1.7 MILLION AFGHANS. 09:56, 07 Oct 2023 Forcibly deporting Afghans from Pakistan could lead to

severe human rights violations including the separation of families and deportation of minors, the United Nations has warned. Pakistan recently announced a crackdown on migrants living in

the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans, telling them to return to their home countries by October 31 to avoid mass arrest and expulsion. The government denies targeting Afghans

and says the focus is on people who are in the country illegally, regardless of their nationality. It said it is setting up a hotline and offering rewards to people who tip off authorities

country and may face serious protection risks upon return,” the UN agencies said, referring to Pakistan’s crackdown. They acknowledged Pakistan’s “sovereign prerogative” over domestic

policies and said they are ready to help register and manage Afghan nationals, including those who may be in need of international protection. The International Organisation for Migration

and UN Refugee Agency called on countries to “suspend forcible returns of Afghan nationals and ensure any possible returns to the country take place in a safe, dignified and voluntary

manner”. Landlords and real estate owners in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, have received notices telling them to evict “illegal Afghans” and their families by the end of the month or

face action. Police have asked clerics in some of the city’s mosques to tell worshippers of their duty to inform on Afghans in their neighbourhoods. The information minister in the

south-western Pakistani province of Baluchistan, Jan Achakzai, said hundreds of Afghan families have voluntarily left the country and crossed the border since the announcement. GET THE

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rest of our newsletters here. Authorities have detained more than 100 people, including Afghans and Iranians, he said. Rights groups and the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan have

criticised the crackdown. Pakistan has been a haven for Afghan refugees since millions fled Afghanistan during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation, creating one of the world’s largest refugee

populations. More Afghans have fled since then, including an estimated 100,000 since the Taliban seized control of the country in August 2021. Although Pakistani security forces and police

have routinely arrested and deported Afghans who have entered the country without valid documents in recent years, this is the first time the government has announced plans for such a major

crackdown. It comes amid a spike in attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, who have hideouts and bases in Afghanistan but regularly cross into Pakistan to stage attacks on its security

forces. Pakistan has long demanded that the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan cease their support for the TTP, which is a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban. Article

continues below The Taliban deny providing sanctuary to the TTP. _DON'T MISS THE LATEST NEWS FROM AROUND SCOTLAND AND BEYOND - SIGN UP TO OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER __HERE__._