Pakistan Moves Against Illegal Citizenship; Afghan Migrants Concerned
Pakistan’s Interior Minister, during a meeting, instructed the country’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to identify all foreign nationals who have illegally obtained Pakistani identity cards and remove their names from the system.
Mohsin Naqvi described the immediate identification of those who have unlawfully acquired Pakistani citizenship as an urgent necessity.
Mohammad Jamal Muslim, a migrant rights activist, said: “From homelessness to lack of protection, the people of Afghanistan in Pakistan—who over several decades have endured hardships and forms of mistreatment under various pretexts—are now facing even more difficult days as migrants striving simply to survive. If international organizations and the Afghan government do not pay attention and take action on this issue, a dark chapter will remain for future generations.”
It is worth noting that currently, an estimated 2 to 3 million Afghan migrants still reside in Iran and Pakistan.
Some Afghan migrants in Pakistan have expressed concern over increasing challenges and their difficult living conditions, adding that they are facing serious problems in the country.
Allah Mir Miakhil, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, said: “Now, one of the major issues concerns family members who have been in Pakistani prisons for more than a month—how they can gather their belongings and return to Afghanistan.”
Shaheen, another Afghan migrant in Pakistan, told reporter: “Afghan migrants currently living in different cities of Pakistan are facing many problems. They cannot find work, and those in camps are also dealing with numerous challenges. We call on international organizations to seriously address the demands of Afghan migrants.”
The forced deportation process of Afghan migrants had been halted since the month of Hoot 1404 (Solar Calendar) due to tensions between Islamabad and Kabul; however, in recent days, Pakistan has reopened the Torkham crossing unilaterally for deportations.
