Some families affected by a recent earthquake have been deported from Pakistan, as reported by Tolo News. One resident, Mohammad Aslam from Ghaziabad village in Kunar, tragically lost five family members in the disaster. He shared, “The whole house collapsed on us. We lost five people—my father, two of my uncle’s sons, and two of my cousins’ children.”
The situation is particularly dire for those deported. It’s unclear what led to Aslam’s deportation, especially given the severe conditions back in Afghanistan. Kunar, the area hit by the earthquake late Sunday, sits close to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
In recent months, the United Nations has highlighted that Pakistan has sped up efforts to expel undocumented Afghans. A report from Human Rights Watch in March underscored that Pakistani authorities have been “coercing” Afghan refugees to go back to Afghanistan, despite the imminent dangers they face from the Taliban and worsening economic conditions in their homeland.
Currently, over 3.5 million Afghans live in Pakistan, according to the UN Refugee Agency. While Pakistan has historically welcomed Afghans fleeing conflict, the government now claims that the large number of refugees creates national security risks and strains on public services.
The United Nations has noted an increase in violence and economic instability in Afghanistan, affecting many civilians. With deportations occurring simultaneously with natural disasters, the plight of Afghan families like Aslam’s becomes even more urgent.
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