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ISLAMABAD —A group of independent experts from the United Nations raised concerns Friday about Pakistan's large-scale deportations of undocumented Afghan migrants and called for measures to minimize the dangers faced by vulnerable people among them.
The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued findings of its review of Pakistan at an online news conference in Geneva, saying it was "alarmed by the mass exodus" under the country's Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.
Michal Balcerzak, the chair of the committee, said that a staggering 700,000 people, including 101,000 between April and June, were deported or returned to Afghanistan as part of the plan.
Pakistani authorities launched the deportation campaign late last year, attributing a surge in nationwide militant attacks to "elements" residing among undocumented foreigners, primarily Afghans.
"The committee highlighted reports of harassment, forced evictions and the detention of 28,500 Afghans from September to December 2023, which have driven many to return to Afghanistan out of fear," said Balcerzak.
He emphasized that Pakistan should assess "refoulement risks" and take measures to reduce dangers faced by vulnerable groups, such as the risk of unaccompanied children being trafficked or exploited.
VOA contacted but could not immediately receive a response from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson regarding the U.N. findings.
Islamabad rejects criticism of its deportations of foreigners lacking proper paperwork, stating that the campaign is not aimed at a specific nationality and asserting that most of the Afghan returnees departed voluntarily. However, the returnees and Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have questioned those claims.
Balcerzak stated that the U.N. committee "expressed regret for the lack of a legislative and institutional framework in line with international law" and recommended that Pakistan ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Optional Protocol.
According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Pakistan is not a party to the global convention and has not enacted any national legislation to protect refugees nor has it established procedures to determine the refugee status of people seeking international protection within its territory.
Pakistan also hosts about 1.4 million official Afghan refugees fleeing years of war, persecution and economic hardship in poverty-stricken Afghanistan.
Moreover, nearly 900,000 Afghan citizenship card holders also live in the country. The migrant community received the identity documents several years ago after undergoing a registration process backed by the Pakistani and Afghan governments and financed by the International Organization for Migration.
Last month, Pakistan extended until June 2025 the stay of the 1.4 million Afghan refugees in the country legally.