Context:

• This article is based on an Editorial “Scapegoating: On Afghan refugees in Pakistan” which was published in the Hindu. The Pakistan government ordered illegal migrants to leave the country by October 31, which has raised the challenge for thousands of Afghan refugees. 

Afghan Refugees in Pakistan

• The Statistics: According to the United Nations, about 1.3 million Afghans have been registered as refugees, while another 8,80,000 have legal status to stay in Pakistan.

Afghan Refugees in Pakistan – Reason for Migration

• Violence in the civil war-stricken country. 
• Many Afghans fled after the Taliban recaptured power in Afghanistan in 2021. 
• Many others had moved during the Soviet military intervention in the 1980s. 

Why Pakistan is forcing lakhs of Afghan refugees to leave?

• Terror Attacks: Pakistan claimed that the presence of illegal migrants has led to rising crime and terror attacks and is stressing its struggling economy. 
  • As per Pakistan’s official accords, there have been 24 suicide bomb attacks since January this year and 14 of them were carried out by Afghan nationals.
• Economic Slowdown: Pakistan is also facing hyperinflation, a balance of payment crisis and high rupee depreciation. 
• Deportation: Pakistan’s order that they should either leave on their own or face detention and deportation. Pakistan has already set up deportation centers for illegal migrants and deport them.

A Humanitarian Tragedy

• Thousands of migrants are now stranded on the Afghan-Pakistan border, while others are in fear of arrest and violence in Pakistan, leading to the UN’s warning of a “humanitarian tragedy”.

The Path Ahead

• Stringent actions on Terrorism: The security crisis it is facing today is a result of its own dual policy on terror — fighting some outfits while supporting others, which now needs to be ended and work strictly against terrorism. 
• Economic Stability: Shift away from power struggles between the military and civilian leadership, and prioritize economic development to resolve the country’s challenges.

Also Read: Why Arab Countries Don’t Want to Take in Palestinian Refugees from Gaza

Conclusion:

In this unpredictable world, where we are witnessing two brow-raising wars of Hamas- Israel and Russia-Ukraine, and millions of refugees, now the time has come for the World and International Organizations to take appropriate actions towards overcoming the dilemma of National Interest versus Right of Refugees and find a middle way to protect both.