The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that women made up more than half of the Afghan migrants deported by Pakistan last week. According to UNHCR data, at least 51 percent of the returnees were female.
From July 28 to August 3, 2024, a total of 953 people returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan. The UNHCR categorized the returnees as follows: 642 were Voluntary Repatriation Form (VRF) holders, 190 had Proof of Registration (POR) cards, 60 were slip holders, 59 were undocumented members of VRF families, and two were asylum seekers.
The UNHCR infographic highlighted that 51 percent of the returnees were female, 28 percent were from households headed by females, and 61 percent were under 18.
This development follows Pakistan’s increased efforts to deport “undocumented” Afghan migrants under a policy enacted by its caretaker government in October last year. Since November 2023, nearly 600,000 Afghan migrants have been deported by Pakistan, according to UN data.
Last week, Pakistani police conducted crackdowns in several locations in Islamabad, detaining hundreds of Afghan migrants, including women, for lacking legal documents.
Afghan migrants in Islamabad have accused the Pakistani Foreign Ministry’s visa issuance process of corruption. They claim that despite applying for visa extensions and fulfilling all necessary criteria, their visas remain pending, forcing them to pay bribes to obtain approval.
