Intensified Pressures on Afghan Migrants in Pakistan: From Arbitrary Arrests to House Demolitions
Pakistan’s police have intensified pressure on undocumented Afghan migrants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since July 10, demolishing many homes in migrant settlements.
According to Zharfa News Agency, following the increase in pressure, residents of these areas have hurriedly gathered their belongings, and many have hidden inside their homes to avoid arrest.
The Matani area near Peshawar has been one of the main sites of this operation. In this settlement, dozens of houses belonging to Afghans have been destroyed.
Najib Rahman, a 50-year-old migrant, told Agence France-Presse after the demolition of his house: “The officers didn’t listen to us and ordered the demolition.” He is currently searching through the rubble for his father’s medicines and his children’s educational documents.
The same situation has been repeated for Ahmad Mola, a 70-year-old migrant. He complained about the police’s complete disregard for the migrants’ health and financial conditions, adding that security forces had repeatedly issued warnings through mosque loudspeakers and meetings with community elders.
This operation is part of a direct order from Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior for the arrest and deportation of Afghan nationals without visas. Local police officials have confirmed that they had already completed mapping of Afghan residential neighborhoods across the entire province even before the federal order was issued.
The source added that despite the return of millions of Afghans to their country since 2023, the focus of these pressures has now shifted to northern regions of Pakistan that have deep cultural, linguistic, and ethnic ties.
According to a United Nations report, approximately 2.3 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan, while more than one million people remain in the country. However, the intensified pressure on Afghan migrants has drawn widespread international criticism, including from Amnesty International.
