HRW asks Pakistan to stop forced refugees’ repatriation

KABUL to stop forced repatriation of Afghan refugees.

 “Pakistani officials should not make refugees scapegoat in the wake of Taliban’s atrocities in Peshawar,” said Phelim Kine, HRW deputy Asia director.

The HRW asked Pakistani authorities to honor its obligation of protecting Afghan refugees from harassment, including those who were not registered.

“It is inhumane, not to mention unlawful, to return Afghans to places they may face harm and not protect them from harassment and abuse,” Kine added.

A recent increase in Afghans repatriating from Pakistan appears related to coercive pressure from local governments on Afghans to return to their country since the December 16, 2014 attack on a school in Peshawar.

Increase in arrests, detentions and evictions of Afghans were reported in the three Pakistani provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Punjab, the HRW said.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) also said the rate of spontaneous returns of undocumented Afghans increased from an average of 59 a day in 2014 to 749 persons in the first weeks of 2015.

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