UN opposes Pakistan’s decision to expel over one million illegal immigrants

The United Nations, on Tuesday, opposed a deadline set by Pakistan to expel over one million “illegal immigrants”, saying “the return must be voluntary and without any pressure”.

Qaisar Khan Afridi, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters that “Any refugee return must be voluntary and without any pressure to ensure protection for those seeking safety.”

Pakistan, on Tuesday, gave a one-month deadline to all the “illegal immigrants” to leave the country by the first of November.

Afridi urged Islamabad which “has been generously hosting refugees for more than 40 years” to put in place a mechanism to ensure that Afghans with international protection are not deported.

He maintained that “We must also keep in mind that those fleeing persecution often do not have the necessary documents and travel permissions.”

The UNHCR official confirmed that the refugee agency stands ready to support Pakistan in developing a mechanism to manage and register people in need of international protection on its territory and respond to “particular vulnerabilities”.

According to the latest UN figures, some 1.3 million Afghans enjoy the status of registered refugees, while another 880,000 have legal status to stay in Pakistan.

At least 700 Afghans have been arrested since early September in Karachi alone and hundreds more in other cities, police figures said.