PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): As the Afghan embassy expressed concerns over the arbitrary detention of Afghan nationals, more than 180 Afghan nationals have been deported from Islamabad in a week in a crackdown on undocumented foreigners, officials say.
A day earlier, the Afghan embassy expressed concerns over the arbitrary detention of Afghan nationals in Islamabad.
The migrants having Proof of Registration (PoR) and Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), visas or those listed for third-country resettlement, were not being repatriated, a senior official said,
Dawn quoted Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon as saying only two undocumented Afghan nationals were being kept in holding areas’
Meanwhile, a police officer confirmed more than 1,000 individuals had been rounded up in the past two days over suspicion of staying in the capital illegally. He confirmed 183 Afghan citizens had been repatriated this month.
Another police officer claimed the number of Afghans staying unlawfully in the capital was much higher than those who had valid documents.
Earlier, the Afghan embassy voiced “deep concern over the recent mass detention of about 800 refugees in Islamabad, including individuals holding valid visas, PoR and ACC cards.
In a post on X, the embassy said: “The lack of clarity surrounding NOC requirements/issuance process has led to troubling cases of arbitrary detention and deportation.”
It added the deportees included 137 Afghans whose visas had expired but who had already applied for extensions, as well as holders of temporary SHARP/UNHCR registration.
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