Afghan Refugee Schools Closed in Quetta Amid Intensified Deportations

Afghan Refugee Schools Closed in Quetta Amid Intensified Deportations
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Authorities in Quetta, Pakistan, shut down several private schools serving Afghan refugee students on Thursday, September 10, as part of wider measures linked to the country’s ongoing deportation campaign. Local sources reported that the schools, many of which are run by Afghan refugees and teach in Persian, were ordered to close for ten days.

The directive reportedly came from the Afghan consulate in Quetta, controlled by the Taliban, in coordination with Pakistani police. School administrators said police barred Afghan students from attending classes and instructed officials to discuss the future of these institutions with local authorities.

One school director noted that 33 such schools are registered with local officials, expressing hope that a solution can be reached to allow reopening before the academic year concludes. Most teachers in these schools hold temporary residence permits. However, Pakistan has ordered all migrants, including those with temporary documents, to leave the country by September 1, with over one million people affected.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has reported that more than 2.3 million Afghan refugees have been deported from Pakistan and Iran this year alone, as regional governments press ahead with efforts to return migrants after years of displacement.