“I’m frightened,” sobs a young girl named Nabila.
The 10-year-old spends her days confined to her small home in Islamabad and the dusty street outside. Ever since December, she hasn’t been able to attend her local school after it stopped admitting Afghan students without valid Pakistani birth certificates. Even if she could go back to school, Nabila insists she wouldn’t dare.
“One day when I was sick, I heard that police were searching for Afghan children,” she recounts through tears, noting that her friend’s family was sent back to Afghanistan.
For safety reasons, Nabila’s name, along with all Afghan names mentioned in this piece, has been changed.
The United Nations reports a noticeable increase in deportations, arrests, and detentions of Afghans in Pakistan’s capital and the nearby city of Rawalpindi. Over half of the approximately three million Afghans in the country are believed to be living there without proper documentation.
Afghans speak of a life filled with fear and frequent police raids on their residences.
Some individuals fear for their lives if they are forced to return to Afghanistan, including families enrolled in a US resettlement initiative put on hold by the Trump administration.
Philippa Candler, the UN Refugee Agency’s representative in Islamabad, states that Pakistan is growing impatient with the sluggish pace of relocation programs. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of Afghans repatriated to Afghanistan in the first half of February doubled compared to two weeks earlier, with 930 individuals sent back. Notably, at least 20% of the people deported from Islamabad and Rawalpindi possessed documentation from the UN Refugee Agency, indicating their recognition as individuals requiring international protection.
Despite the presence of those with official refugee status, Pakistan is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention and has previously claimed it does not acknowledge Afghans residing in the country as refugees, targeting all undocumented foreign nationals for removal by an impending deadline. This deadline, initially fluctuating, is now set for March 31 for those lacking valid visas and June 30 for those holding resettlement letters.
Amidst the confusion, many Afghans are gripped with terror and find the visa application process to be daunting. Nabila’s family feels their only recourse is to hide. Her father, Hamid, a former Afghan military member, expresses his anguish over sleepless nights.
“I served my country, and now I feel worthless. That position has brought me nothing but misery,” he reveals.
Facing visa issues and exclusion from resettlement programs, their attempts to seek help from the UN’s refugee agency have gone unanswered.
The BBC has sought a response from the agency.
The Taliban administration has previously claimed that all Afghans should return, asserting they can live in the country without fear and labeling these refugees as “economic migrants.”
However, a 2023 UN report raised doubts about
“We find ourselves here not out of choice, but out of necessity,” expresses a sense of melancholy and isolation within their dwelling. Maryam, the mother of Nabila, recounts the story of a dear friend who was deported to Afghanistan, leaving a void in their lives. The separation was a painful experience for them all.
When asked about her aspirations for the future, Nabila confidently declares her dream of becoming a model, eliciting smiles from those present. Her mother gently suggests alternative career paths like engineering or law, recognizing the limitations imposed by the Taliban regime on girls’ ambitions.
Pakistan has a history of hosting Afghan refugees, but recent cross-border attacks have heightened tensions between the two nations. The Pakistani government attributes these attacks to militants in Afghanistan, a claim disputed by the Taliban. Following the implementation of the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” in September 2023, over 836,238 individuals have been repatriated to Afghanistan.
Amidst this wave of deportations, some Afghans are detained in Haji camp in Islamabad. Ahmad, a refugee who was close to completing the US resettlement process, saw his hopes dashed when the program was suspended for review. He recounts the harrowing experience of his family being held in poor conditions during the repatriation process.
Despite efforts to investigate the situation within Haji camp, access is denied by authorities. Requests for interviews with the Pakistani government and police remain unanswered. Fearing detention or deportation, some families opt to leave their current residences, while others lack the means to do so.
One woman, who was in the final stages of the US resettlement program, shares her struggle to afford basic necessities and the ongoing raids in her area. The US embassy in Islamabad asserts its engagement with the Pakistani government regarding Afghan nationals in resettlement pathways.
Outside the gates of Haji camp, a woman with a valid visa waits anxiously as her sister, whose visa has expired, is held inside the camp.
In a heart-wrenching encounter, a mother, accompanied by her children, faced a grim reality as she was denied the opportunity to visit her family by officers, fearing the imminent threat of deportation. Overcome with fear and despair, tears streamed down her face as she questioned the safety of her homeland, lamenting, “If my country was safe, why would I come here to Pakistan? And even here we cannot live peacefully.”
Amidst the anguish, the mother gestured towards her daughter, a former singer in Afghanistan, where oppressive laws silenced women’s voices beyond the confines of their own homes, stifling their right to be heard, let alone sing. As the daughter sat silently in the car, I approached her with a gentle inquiry about her singing. Her gaze was unwavering as she softly uttered, “No.”
The poignant scene painted a poignant portrait of the struggles faced by refugees, forced to flee their homes in search of safety and freedom, only to be met with barriers and challenges in their new surroundings. The mother’s desperation and the daughter’s silenced dreams stood as powerful reminders of the injustices and hurdles faced by marginalized communities worldwide.
In the midst of the turmoil, the resilience and strength of the refugees shone through, a testament to the enduring human spirit that perseveres in the face of adversity. The mother’s unwavering determination to protect her family and the daughter’s silent yet defiant stance against oppression served as a poignant narrative of hope amidst despair.
As we bear witness to the struggles of these individuals, let us not forget the inherent dignity and humanity that unites us all, transcending borders and barriers. In their stories lies a call for compassion, understanding, and solidarity, as we strive to create a world where every individual is treated with respect and afforded the opportunity to thrive.
May the voices of the voiceless be heard, may the dreams of the oppressed be realized, and may we stand together in support of those who seek refuge and solace in a world that often fails to provide them with the security and freedom they so rightfully deserve.
