Over half a million Afghans have left Pakistan in a mass exodus. This large-scale movement began after Islamabad’s directive to undocumented migrants. The directive was clear: leave or face legal consequences. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) confirmed these developments on Monday.
UN Reports on Afghan Departure
The United Nations migration agency, IOM, provided specific numbers. They reported that 50,0200 Afghans departed between September 15, 2023, and January 13, 2024. This migration showed a significant peak around November 1. After this peak, the numbers at official border points started to decline. However, they remained higher than before September 15th. The UN’s Afghan mission expressed concerns. They highlighted the risks for some returning Afghans. These risks include potential persecution, arrest, torture, or other ill-treatment.
There have been issues at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The busiest border crossing has been closed for ten consecutive days due to a dispute over documentation for commercial drivers. The conflict centers on the requirement for visas and passports. Many Afghans lack these documents. This has led to a crackdown on cross-border movement by Pakistan. As a result, over 400 trucks were stranded on the Pakistan side of the Torkham crossing.
Pakistan has seen a significant influx of Afghan refugees over the past 40 years. This migration is largely due to ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. Notably, about 600,000 Afghans have entered Pakistan since the Taliban’s rise to power. This was after the fall of the US-backed government in Afghanistan.
