ISLAMABAD — More than 11,000 Afghan migrants were deported from Pakistan in the first two weeks of February, according to a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The agency said that 11,670 Afghans were expelled during this period, marking a sharp increase in deportations. Fear of arrest by Pakistani police among Afghan migrants has risen to 91 percent, while concerns over forced deportation have increased by 21 percent, the report found.
More than half of those deported—54 percent—were detained and expelled from the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, according to the IOM. The organization noted that the rate of deportations has doubled compared with the previous two weeks.
IOM border monitors interviewed 341 heads of Afghan families during the same period, gathering data on their experiences.
Afghan migrants expelled from Pakistan have been returning through five border crossings, including the Torkham and Spin Boldak checkpoints, the agency said.
