Pakistan To Start Deportation of Illegal Refugees On November 2

Sarfraz Bugti, Pakistan's Caretaker Interior Minister, said that the detention and deportation of illegal Afghan immigrants will begin on Thursday, November 2.

"We are not deporting any refugees. Only those who are completely illegal will leave Pakistan," said Bugti on Tuesday without providing further details.

In a statement released on Tuesday, he added that the deportation process would be "lengthy and gradual”.

Earlier this month, Islamabad announced the decision to deport illegal immigrants and claimed that Afghan citizens are involved in violence, smuggling, and crimes in Pakistan. The Taliban in Kabul rejected these accusations and human rights defender groups asked Islamabad to reconsider its decision.

The Ministry of Interior of Pakistan said that more than four million Afghan immigrants live in the country, and about 1.7 million of them do not have legal documentation.

Bugti said that those who leave voluntarily will receive help in temporary centres.

He added that they will try to provide these migrants with food and health facilities for two to three days.

On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that, following the deadline for deporting undocumented immigrants from Pakistan, a significant number of Afghans arrived at the border crossings in trucks and buses.

Pakistani officials said that around 200,000 Afghans have returned to their country since the crackdown on migrants in Pakistan increased.

Refugee organisations have said that since the deadline was set earlier this month, around 4,000 people have crossed the border every day.