Afghanistan Peace CampaignSome Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan say all of their belongings have been left behind in that country.
The forced expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, in addition to other problems, is also marked by a major issue: their properties and assets remaining in Pakistan.
Adam Khan, a 40-year-old man who was born in Pakistan, has now been deported along with 13 members of his family.
He said that 300,000 Pakistani rupees’ worth of belongings were left behind, and now he is worried about his and his family’s future.
Speaking about the matter, Adam Khan said: “I was born in Pakistan and spent most of my life there. I have only now seen Afghanistan — this is my third night here. We spent our whole lives in Pakistan. Who will speak for us? UNHCR doesn’t, nor does the international community. Who will stand up for us?”
Other deported refugees have also shared their struggles.
Shireen, another deportee from Pakistan, said: “We have no home, we have nothing. I call on the Islamic Emirate to help us and build us a house. I don’t know anything about work or business here in Afghanistan. I don’t have land or any property.”
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that between April 1 and May 4 of this year, more than 231,000 undocumented Afghan refugees have been deported from Pakistan and Iran and have returned to Afghanistan. According to the organization, they have provided aid to over 86,000 of those returnees.
Mohammad Khalid Faqiri, deputy director of the Humanitarian Aid Program, stated: “From April to May 4 of this year, more than 231,000 undocumented Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran. Of them, over 80,000 have received humanitarian assistance.”
This comes as the foreign ministers of Iran and Pakistan had earlier visited Afghanistan, where addressing the challenges faced by Afghan refugees was one of their main talking points. Despite this, the forced deportation of Afghan refugees continues.