A group of former US officials and organizations are requesting Pakistan not to send Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan. Pakistan’s caretaker government has set a deadline for all illegal immigrants to leave, which has caused worry about the fate of the Afghan refugees.
Currently, more than 20,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban are in Pakistan, waiting for their US Special Immigration Visas or resettlement in the United States as refugees. Among them are former translators, journalists, and activists, who could be in danger if they return to Afghanistan.
The letter, signed by 80 former US officials and resettlement groups, appeals to Pakistan to halt the deportation of these vulnerable Afghans and to protect them from detention. The government has indicated that the deportation process will be carried out in phases, possibly starting with those who have criminal records. The caretaker Interior Minister has mentioned that about 1.73 million Afghans in Pakistan do not have legal documents.
Pakistan Afghan refugees, Deportation pressure Pakistan, Refugee crisis Pakistan, Afghan refugee deportation, Pakistan deportation issue